Red Destiny Book 1: New York
by OSTOCOM
Summary: Latest Chapter: The ECC reunites with AMP in an attempt to close the gates to Nemesis...but will their efforts lead to victory, or a second Silent Crisis? BOOK 1 COMPLETE!
1. Under Scrutiny

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny  
  
Book 1: New York  
  
Chapter 1: Under Scrutiny  
  
Authors: OSTOCOM  
  
Email and Website: See our profile  
  
Rating: PG for sci-fi violence  
  
Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See Book 0 for complete disclaimer.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
"Behind you!"  
  
Miakoda quickly raised her arms, and a golden-brown energy shield shimmered around her. The Category Two growled in frustration as its claws bounced off the shield. "Thanks!" Miakoda called.  
  
"No problem," Calixta replied. She pushed some strands of tangled, sweaty hair off her forehead. This Category Two was a feisty one, all right. It had been running them ragged for nearly half an hour. She looked to the field commander for guidance. "Adara?"  
  
"We're not giving up," Adara said, her gray eyes blazing.  
  
"Of course not," Calixta said, although she had been secretly hoping they might. It wasn't as though the Hawk was threatening anyone besides them back here in this alley....  
  
"Watch it!" Miakoda shouted. Calixta ducked as the Category 2 swung its arm at her head. She somersaulted out of the way and drew her gun from its holster. It needed to be recharged. Well, she would just have to make her last few shots count.  
  
"Calixta, let's make sure we keep him in his place." Adara lowered her voice. "Whatever you do, don't let him out of this alley. He's getting away again over my dead body."  
  
(Or mine,) Calixta thought a little resentfully, but she nodded. She knew what had to be done.  
  
"Miakoda, we could use a little spiritual guidance right about now," Adara said.  
  
Miakoda nodded. She cupped her hands and raised her arms. White light radiated from her hands as she began chanting quietly in Navajo.  
  
Adara swung around behind the Category 2 and spread a thin line of fire on the ground behind it. There was only one way for it to go now—out.  
  
(If only I had enough strength left to teleport,) it thought wearily. (Perhaps if I eat one of them, I will be strong enough again. Who knew these puny humans could be so tenacious?)  
  
It swung its head around, scanning for the best exit. There was a taller human, very powerful, across from it. Though the Lucifer Hawk had no eyes, its demon senses recognized the magical aura surrounding her. She was growing stronger, and the Hawk knew from experience that she was getting ready to attack. It had to run, now.  
  
There. There was its exit. The only thing blocking its way was a pathetically short human with no magical aura at all. She was barely even armed—the Hawk sensed that the gun was toward the end of its power reserves.  
  
The Category Two charged recklessly toward her, ignoring the pain as three bullets penetrated its shoulders and neck. "You," it said. "Food."  
  
"I don't think so," Calixta said. She pulled the trigger again, but nothing happened.  
  
"Food," the Category 2 insisted, lunging toward her. Calixta swung her leg around in a crescent kick, knocking its arms out of the way. The Hawk angled its body slightly so that Calixta had to turn her back to the wall to defend herself. She turned and kicked off against the wall, executing a back flip and flying over its arm to the other side.  
  
(I should have run away,) the Hawk thought. (I can still run.) It tried to hurry out the alleyway opening before the human could scramble back into a defensive position. But the fire-human had made the flames circle around him. It thought desperately, (But if I eat something, then I can teleport. I'm so hungry...)  
  
The Hawk scooped Calixta up in its clawed hand. She reached out to punch the Hawk, but with a fluid movement it broke her elbow and dislocated her shoulder. "Food!" it screamed, opening its mouth over Calixta.  
  
Before the Category Two could bite down, it was distracted by the screech of an eagle spirit. The spirit circled the Hawk two times and plunged its beak into the Hawk's chest. At the point of contact, the Hawk felt its body rip open. The pain and mortal fear of the hunted spread through every sinew of its body, poisoning its blood, freezing it in terror. The Hawk stood, helpless, as flames engulfed it. (So this is death,) it thought, dropping its prey in resignation.  
  
As Calixta fell, she managed to twist her body so that she didn't hit her head. Unfortunately, she still landed hard on her injured shoulder. She blinked back tears of pain. (Well,) she thought as she watched the Hawk burn, (at least I didn't let him get out of the alley.) Then she fainted.  
  
------  
  
Mackenzie Jameson frowned as she looked over the latest reports from her officers. The three women had been dealing with more and more Lucifer Hawk cases lately, and they had let themselves become sloppy the last two times. The first time a Category Two had escaped, and the second battle had caused Calixta to have a brief stint in the hospital.  
  
She thought about a few things she and Rally Cheyenne had discussed while the group from Tokyo had been in the city two weeks ago, and decided that some changes were in order. Nodding to herself, she pulled up a file on her computer and began to type.  
  
Meanwhile, in the common room that served as part office and part break room for the ECC the phone was ringing. Miakoda picked up and said, "ECC headquarters." She paused as she listened to several clicks and a short beep. (What's going on?) she thought to herself. (Who could be calling us on a secure line?)  
  
"Hello?" The voice on the other end replied, and a smile spread across Miakoda's face. "Everyone, it's AMP!" she cried excitedly. Adara and Calixta each looked up with identical smiles and grabbed their own phones off of their desks.  
  
"Hello, Calixta!" Katsumi's voice came over the other end. "How are you guys doing?" "Well, I can't speak for everyone else," Calixta replied, "but I was doing fine until some Category Two decided I was the menu du jour. I had to spend a day and a half in the hospital trying to recover from him attempting to turn me into some fine Lucifer Hawk cuisine." "And you guys thought I couldn't cook!" Kiddy's voice came, indicating that Katsumi wasn't the only one on the phone. "Hopefully you guys kicked that Hawk's ass." "We taught it a lesson," Adara added in quickly, and changed the subject. "How is Roy doing?" Katsumi answered, "He's doing fine. He really likes being in the office with everyone here, and with Grosspoliner." Adara sensed that Katsumi wasn't exactly thrilled with situation concerning her son, but she decided not to press the matter further. "Well, I'm glad to hear he's not gotten himself into too much trouble." Hey, who're you talking to? a voice the ECC didn't recognize came on the line. With not one of them speaking anything that could be called passable Japanese, all of them looked confused. We're talking to the people from New York, moron, Kiddy said. Weren't you just listening? "I'm sorry, that was Lum Cheng," Katsumi added. "Lebia, Nami and Yuki also say hello." "No hello from your commander to ours?" Miakoda joked. "In spirit, of course...I'm not sure how happy she'd be that we're making this very-long-distance call without permission," Katsumi sighed. "Well, we're certainly glad that you did," Adara said. "It's nice to be reminded we're not alone in this fight." "Same here. The more people we have, the more those Hawks have—" "That's all very interesting, Katsumi, but are we ever actually going to get to the point of this call?" Kiddy interrupted. Calixta blinked. "Which is...?" "I left my leather riding jacket in your guest house, Adara," Kiddy said sheepishly. "I need you to send it back." Adara laughed. "Sure thing, Kiddy." Hey, Rally's coming, Lum Cheng piped up again. If she asks about the phone bill, I blame you guys entirely. "All right, I guess that's our cue to go..." Katsumi sighed. "We'll find an excuse to call you guys again soon." "Same here," Miakoda said, figuring that Lum Cheng had warned them approaching superiors. "Tell Roy hi for me." "Will do. He's already practicing his English for when we can meet again." "You guys hang in there," Adara said. "You too," Kiddy added. "And no more trips to the hospital, okay?" "Hopefully not," Calixta said.  
  
As they were saying their goodbyes, Mackenzie entered the room. Miakoda's eyes widened and she hurriedly ended the phone conversation for all three ECC members. Adara and Calixta peered out of their offices to see what had caused Miakoda's reaction, and promptly straightened themselves up and joined their teammate in the common room.  
  
"I've been looking over the latest reports," Jameson said sternly as she eyed the three women. "And I've decided to implement a few new policies in order to shore up the holes I've discovered."  
  
"Sir, I take full responsibility for the last two engagements," Adara said quickly. "I think I speak for all of us when I say we won't let those kinds of mistakes happen again."  
  
"Good," Mackenzie smiled. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're three women trying to deal with a threat that can be overwhelming at times. Rally Cheyenne made a few suggestions while she was here, and I think it's time that I listened to some of them." She handed each woman a typed sheet of paper. "Here are the new policies I've decided on. Number one: Calixta, you will install and maintain a holomodule in the office. This will be used for training by all of you at least twice a week."  
  
Calixta nodded absentmindedly, already trying to work out the details in her head.  
  
"Number two: we will now send and receive bi-weekly reports to and from AMP. This will be in order to gauge the overall level of Lucifer Hawk activity as well as to share information about strategies and tactics that do and do not work against the enemy."  
  
Once again everyone nodded, indicating that they had understood the order.  
  
"And finally: Adara, you will report to the naval base at Groton, Connecticut in two days at precisely 0800. Once there, you will undergo a training regimen in order to shore up your tactical and situation analysis skills. In other words," she said, throwing a glance towards the auburn- haired woman, "you will learn when to retreat. You will also be allowed to take the test for promotion to Lieutenant Commander."  
  
Adara's eyes lit up and she had to fight to keep the smile off of her face. "Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!"  
  
Mackenzie's expression softened as she looked her subordinates over one more time. "You all have been doing a good job. Sometimes the Hawks can get to be too much even for a trained group such as yourselves. Just remember to be careful, and that it is okay if they get away once in a while. Even the AMP isn't one hundred percent effective, and they have six members to our three." She made sure to look each woman in the eye as she said this, and she could see most of the tension leave their bodies. "That's all for today, ladies. Dismissed."  
  
Adara, Miakoda and Calixta saluted as one, and then each retired back to her own office to mull over the new policies.  
  
------  
  
The newsroom of the New York Sentinel hummed like a slightly angry hive of bees. Everywhere, a mixture of ringing phones, clicking keyboards, and urgent voices hung in the air. At a station precisely in the middle of the room, a young woman sat, oblivious to the noise around her. She was dressed professionally in a beige suit that contrasted nicely with her light brown skin, and her mass of curly black hair was held in place by a clip. She stared single-mindedly at her computer screen, typing with lightning speed. Every once in a while, she opened the notebook that sat at her right hand, pulled the pencil from behind her ear, and made a note in the margin. She didn't notice the well-dressed man come up to her desk. He watched her approvingly for a second before dropping a folder on her desk. She looked up, saw her editor watching her work, and turned hastily in her chair to face him. The pink crystal that hung from a silver chain around her neck swung a little with her sudden movement.  
  
"Sir! Mr. Mortensen! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. I'm almost done with the Long Island fire story..." She was about to offer more explanation, but he cut her off.  
  
"You're doing good work, Ramirez. I just came to drop off your next assignment," her editor said. He held out the folder. "How much do you know about mem-sweep technology?"  
  
"Well, let's see," she said, and tried to call up everything she'd seen in the news on the subject in recent months. "It's been used overseas as a rehabilitation aid for people who have had traumatic experiences. The US military has done limited amounts of testing, and wants to expand, and there's been talk of making mem-sweeps available to the public."  
  
"Impressive, Amber," Mr. Mortensen said. Her brown eyes sparkled at the praise. "The debate's really been heating up over the past few weeks. Some people are scared of the possibilities that mem-sweeps present..."  
  
"Like their being used against a subject's will, false memory implantation, stuff like that," Amber suggested. She had taken her pencil out from behind her ear and was tapping it on her desk as if it would help her come up with more ideas.  
  
"And those are the more tame conspiracy theories," her editor reminded her, sitting on a corner of her desk. She was suddenly very thankful that she'd cleaned her desk off just the day before. "Anyway, this folder has some preliminary reports that we were able to get a hold of, and a couple of phone numbers. This guy, Damien Marshall, was the military's top man on the mem-sweep project. Try and get a hold of him. I'd like to have this story out as a preliminary piece before the Technology and Enhancement Admin hearing two weeks from Tuesday. You know, give people some information on the issue."  
  
"This is a big story, sir," Amber said. Her expression was somewhere between cautious happiness and nervousness.  
  
"I'm sure you can do it, Amber. You seem to have a way of getting to the bottom of things, and I'm pretty sure that on this piece we aren't going to exactly have people jumping to give us information. So," he rose from her desk to leave, "how about a draft by next Friday?"  
  
"Yes, sir!" Amber said. As soon as Mr. Mortensen was far enough away, she grinned to herself and spun around in her chair, laughing quietly. Then, she put her serious face back on and returned to the article she was writing. She didn't get to work on it long. A man with sandy blond hair who had just recently entered the newsroom made a beeline for her desk. She smiled more. Tad Daniels was just an all around nice guy, and one of her best friends she'd made since coming to work at the paper.  
  
"Did I just see you talking to Mortensen?" he asked, situating himself in the exact same place the editor had been a few moments ago. Amber wondered what if the spot had a mystical 'sit here' sign that she was unaware of.  
  
"Oh, hey Daniels," she said. "Yeah, Mortensen was here."  
  
"And? Did you get a story?"  
  
"Did I ever! I got the mem-sweep story, Daniels!" she told him. He stuck out his hand for her to shake.  
  
"Congratulations, Amber Ramirez," he said with mock formality. "You have officially arrived. Seriously, Amber. That's great! I'm really happy for you."  
  
"Liar," Amber said mischievously as he shook her hand. "You just wish you'd gotten the story."  
  
"Ok, so I am a little jealous. It's a juicy assignment. But if I couldn't get it, I'm glad you did."  
  
"That I believe," she said, and went back to making corrections on her computer screen.  
  
"And if you ever need another pair of eyes and ears, I'd love to tag along," Daniels said hopefully. However, Amber wasn't listening. She didn't see the disappointed puppy dog look on his face when she didn't take him up on his offer, or the wistful glance he cast in her direction as he sat down to work on his own deadlines.  
  
------  
  
Amber looked around at her surroundings with a touch of nervousness. The polished marble floors lent the building an air of sophistication, and she felt slightly out of place. She fidgeted with the nametag she had been provided as she followed the young ensign towards Damien Marshall's office. She had been doing research for a week in preparation for the interview, but she still felt unsettled for some reason. (Come on, Ramirez. You've pulled through tougher assignments. Keep it together.)  
  
Once inside, Marshall, who was currently on the phone, motioned for her to sit. She did, and waited politely for him to finish his conversation. As she waited, she studied him. He was fairly good looking, with tanned skin and jet black hair that was slick and styled. His eyes were brown and his teeth flashed when he opened his mouth. His entire look screamed 'too polished for his own good' to her.  
  
"I want to see those req-forms on my desk by tomorrow morning, Kensworth." Pause. "Yes. And go ahead with the practice mobilization. You'll have those supplies by the end of next week. That is all. Good day, Commander." With that he hung up the phone and turned his full attention to her. "Good day, Ms. Ramirez," he said, flashing what was probably supposed to be a charming smile, but which seemed full of insincerity to Amber. It immediately set her on edge.  
  
"Good afternoon, Captain Marshall. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."  
  
"It's no trouble at all," he insisted. "Now then, my aide tells me you're here about...mem-sweep technology, was it?"  
  
Amber decided that she did not like this man. She plastered the sweetest smile she could muster on her face. "Yes. I understand that you were the top man on the military experiments."  
  
"Well, I wouldn't go that far," he dissembled. "I did supervise some of our earliest testing of the technology, but really the entire matter was out of my control."  
  
"Of course," Amber said, although she didn't believe a word of it. "And what were the results of the testing?"  
  
"I'm sure you have all of the published technical data," Marshall said smoothly.  
  
"Yes, what little there is of it."  
  
"I'm sure you understand that most of the data had to be classified for security reasons."  
  
"Actually, I'm sure people would feel more secure if they understood what this technology did and what it would be used for," Amber said pointedly. "We're talking about something that can erase entire sets of memories. That's very powerful, and potentially very dangerous."  
  
"If it gets into the wrong hands, yes," Marshall agreed.  
  
Amber raised a quizzical eyebrow. "And you don't think it would?"  
  
"No, because I don't think it will ever be legalized," he said. "The mem- sweep technology was found to be non-viable mainly because we never found a way to control exactly which memories we could erase. People lost either more or fewer memories than the targeted amount."  
  
Amber made notes in shorthand on her pad of paper. "I see. And if the military could find a way past this difficulty, would it continue developing and using mem-sweep technology?"  
  
Marshall shrugged expansively. "I really couldn't say. To me, mem-sweep is nothing more than a failed experiment and a dead issue. I really don't know what else I can tell you."  
  
"Actually," Amber said, "I was wondering if you could corroborate some evidence I've been given from other sources I spoke to." He nodded politely. "One of my associates came up with the name Mackenzie Jameson. Do you know anything about her?"  
  
Marshall's look turned to one of apparent confusion. "Jameson? Well yes, I know her, but she doesn't have anything to do with mem-sweep. I'd check the reliability of your sources if I were you, Ms. Ramirez."  
  
Amber's eyes narrowed briefly. "I always do, Captain."  
  
Suddenly a phone behind Marshall's desk sprang to life. The stern expression on his face told the young journalist that her opportunity for questions was at an end. "Ms. Ramirez, I'm sorry, but I must take this call. Can we arrange for another time to complete your interview?" Amber nodded, gathered her things and forced a smile on her face.  
  
"Thank you for your time, Captain Marshall," she said. "What you've told me has been very helpful."  
  
She stood and was quickly shown out as he answered the phone. (And what you didn't tell me is even more helpful,) she thought to herself as the door shut. A young officer appeared before her and they scheduled her next appointment with Captain Marshall. She thanked him once they had finished and then headed outside. As soon as she reached her car, she pulled off the nametag and decided to head home for a quick shower. Somehow, just being in that man's presence had made her feel dirty.  
  
------  
  
Amber's bag full of books, files, and snacks hit the table in the Sentinel's archive and research room with a satisfying thud. Pulling up a chair to the nearest computer terminal, she opened the newspaper's network search engine and typed the name "Damien Marshall" into the proper field. The computer hummed for a moment, and Amber tapped her pencil on the table while she waited.  
  
Though the Sentinel's database was one of the newest in the city, Amber sometimes wished she could have been around for the days the older staffers were always talking about, when you had to go use an ancient microfilm machine, or, better yet, actually go find hard copies of the articles you needed. The computer, while admittedly much faster, was also much less mysterious and exciting.  
  
She tapped her pencil harder, trying to come up with a reason for the unease she'd been feeling since speaking with Marshall the day before. Something about her interview with the smooth-talking officer still didn't sit right with her. It especially didn't sit right with her after every other lead she had for the story had turned out to be a dead end. She had called three scientists supposedly connected to the project, one of whom had turned out to be deceased. The other two had flat-out refused to give her an interview when she called their offices, telling her that they weren't at liberty to speak about the subject. So, she was back where she had started, with the name 'Damien Marshall,' and very little other information.  
  
The terminal beeped, and Amber stopped tapping her pencil and held it poised for action against her notebook as she scanned the list of references.  
  
"Right... joined the Navy in 2008, promoted to captain in 2026 and took over the mem-sweep project the same year," Amber muttered to herself, scribbling in her notebook as she went. "All very nice, but not very useful." She scanned the list of articles looking for something that more closely pertained to her mem-sweep story. "Ah, here we go.'Mem-Sweep Research Called Off...For Now.'" A quick scan of the article confirmed Marshall's earlier statements about the government's reasons for discontinuing research into the uses of technology for memory erasure. (Or memory manipulation,) Amber thought to herself. (I know there's nothing specific about that here, but I'd bet money that kind of thing was going on too.)  
  
The next reference on the list caught her eye. It was a quote Marshall had given the press about...what was that? An accident? Amber pulled the article up and began to read. A familiar name instantly jumped out at her. Mackenzie Jameson. The article had nothing to do with mem-sweep and everything to do with a vaguely described accident that Jameson had been involved in.  
  
"Navy Investigates Horrible Accident at Sea," the headline read. Amber continued to scan the article. "Decorated Lieutenant Commander Mackenzie Jameson was involved in a serious accident last Thursday afternoon aboard the USS Victorious, according to Navy sources. While the commander's condition remains serious but stable, doctors are hopeful that she will make a full recovery. Meanwhile, the Judge Advocate General's office has issued a statement that it will be conducting a full investigation.  
  
"'According to our sources,' Admiral Geraldine Hanson told reporters, 'this accident may have been the result of negligence by certain crewmen. If Commander Jameson had not been present and recognized the problem at the last critical instant, lives may have been lost.'  
  
"Descriptions of the accident itself are confused. Witnesses reported hearing a small explosion in the boiler room, before a fire broke out that was quickly contained. So far, however, we have been unable to find anyone who witnessed the accident directly. There were initial rumors of sabotage, but the Navy has already issued a statement denying that any foul play was involved.  
  
"The Victorious was at sea testing the new mem-sweep devices that have been developed over the past several years by defense specialists in military intelligence. On board were several passengers who had volunteered for the procedure, most of them civilians. However, the project was recently discontinued, and the Victorious was heading back into port when the accident occurred."  
  
When Amber got to the last line of the story, she smiled and read aloud to herself. "When asked if the recent decision to discontinue mem-sweep testing had any bearing on this event, Captain Damien Marshall—who is both the commanding officer on record of the Victorious and the Navy's head on the mem-sweep project—responded, 'These two events are totally unrelated.'" That, Amber knew, had to be a lie. The dates of the two occurrences were too close, and her finely honed innate lie detector was going off like a four-alarm fire bell.  
  
"He's lying. I know it. That's the easy part, even though I can't prove it. Finding the truth...that's not going to be such a walk in the park." Amber stroked the pink crystal that hung at her neck as she spoke, and if she thought there was anything slightly strange about talking to an empty room full of computers, she didn't show it. Instead, she went back to her research and hoped that some kernel of truth would show itself amid all the lies and deception.  
  
------  
  
As Adara stepped off the plane that had taken her to Connecticut, she pulled her coat a little closer. It was getting dark and the wind was blowing, ruffling a few stray auburn hairs that had escaped from the normally impeccable bun during the flight. She looked around as her fellow passengers disembarked, all looking like they knew exactly where to go. Adara herself hadn't been told anything beyond reporting to the airport, so she wasn't quite sure what to do next. She knew she would be training with Mackenzie's former commanding officer, Damien Marshall, but that one link to familiarity didn't help her in this strange labyrinth.  
  
"You must be Adara Davis," a voice from her right said. She looked over and saw a man in his mid-forties with slick black hair and brown eyes. He offered her a charming smile.  
  
She smiled back. "I am. Captain Marshall?"  
  
"That's me. Your commanding officer told me to expect a beautiful woman, but I wasn't expecting one as gorgeous as you," he told her as he led her towards baggage claim.  
  
(You have got to be kidding me,) Adara thought to herself. However, she flashed a charming smile at him and replied, "You flatter me, Captain."  
  
As they gathered her baggage and left the airport he kept up a steady stream of inconsequential banter. Adara, used to such treatment from the socialites her stepmother insisted she mix with, simply smiled and nodded at the appropriate times. They arrived at the base within ten minutes and he led her to the quarters she would be using for her stay, allowing her to drop off her bags before taking her to an empty office in another building.  
  
"We'll be spending most of our time here," he told her as he opened a folder he had brought with him, and settled himself behind the desk. Adara took the seat across from him and opened up her own folder.  
  
"Commander Jameson told me you have a problem with analyzing tactical situations and deciding when retreat is a better option than staying and fighting. So we'll do a standard survey of military history for the past 400 years, followed by some training exercises with the cadets in residence. After that you will be given the opportunity to take the promotions test for the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Is that clear?"  
  
"Yes, sir," she replied, momentarily taken aback. He seemed like an entirely different man than he had been a few minutes ago as they were walking towards the office. She frowned slightly. Anyone who could make such a radical change in personality always set her nerves on edge. It reminded her too much of another person she had known...  
  
She shook herself of such thoughts as she noticed Captain Marshall studying her. "I'm ready, sir."  
  
"I have no doubt you are."  
  
------  
  
Adara sighed as she collapsed in the room the Navy had provided for her. The bed was atrocious—she had no idea how anyone was expected to get a decent night's sleep on it—but right now she was almost too tired to care. Marshall had picked her brain for nine hours straight with only a small break to grab a sandwich to eat. She now had more facts about strategy and tactics than she thought she would ever be able to use.  
  
But something still seemed off to her. She had watched Marshall for the past two days and had seen him change his attitude in a heartbeat no less than fifteen times. He could be charming one minute and then a complete hard-ass the next. He could go from being on the verge of losing his temper to being an absolute golden boy before she could blink. And he wasn't just chameleon-like in his demeanor; he was also evasive about his past. When Adara had tried to strike up a conversation about Mackenzie Jameson, Marshall had either changed the subject or told her to focus on her training instead of on irrelevant discussions. Mackenzie had implied that the two of them were still fairly close, so why wouldn't he talk about her?  
  
The sound of her cellular phone ringing interrupted her internal monologue. "Hello?" she said as she picked up.  
  
"Adara, darling!" the voice of her stepmother answered her. "It's been so long! How are you doing?"  
  
Adara stifled the sigh that threatened to escape. The last thing she wanted to deal with now was her stepmother. "Hello, Judith. I'm doing fine. I'm in Connecticut now, doing some job-training."  
  
"Connecticut, oh my!" Judith sounded horrified at the thought. "Why would you need to go to such a small state like that for job-training? Couldn't they teach you here in New York? Did you hear that, dear? They sent her to some dreadful place in Connecticut."  
  
"I heard. And I'm sure she's perfectly fine. Hello, sunshine."  
  
"Hi Dad!" His voice brought a smile to the young woman's face.  
  
"So, job-training in Connecticut. Is there anything special going on?"  
  
"Well if by 'special' you mean 'am I up for promotion,' then the answer is yes. I have to take a test in a few days, but if I pass, then I will be promoted to Lieutenant Commander."  
  
"That's wonderful!" "How wonderful." Both of her parents echoed the same sentiment, although with drastically different undertones. Her father sounded truly happy for her, while Judith sounded anything but.  
  
"Yes, I'm very excited. The commander likes my work, so she suggested I take the extra training and then apply for promotion." Almost the whole truth.  
  
"I still don't understand what possessed you to leave your singing career for military work. Weren't you enjoying stardom, Adara dear?"  
  
"It does get old after a while, Judith."  
  
"Oh Mark, can't you do something? I mean, working a government job cleaning up after horses! Is that any kind of life for your girl?"  
  
"We've been over this, Judith," her father explained patiently. "If this is what Adara wants to do, then I support her."  
  
"Well, of course I do too! You know that right, Adara dear? I support you, it's just..."  
  
"I'm fine, Judith." Adara was glad that she didn't have to conceal the smile she was wearing like she did when they had these conversations in person. "I like my job and it's doing something that helps people."  
  
"If you insist..." Her stepmother sounded defeated. "Anyway, dear, I do hope you'll come visit as soon as you're back in New York. Fifi misses you terribly."  
  
The lieutenant highly doubted that Judith's pet poodle even cared that she was still alive, but promised several times to come and visit when she returned.  
  
"We all miss you, Sunshine. We'll see you when you get back," her dad promised.  
  
"Okay. Goodnight dad, goodnight Judith."  
  
"Goodnight," they replied.  
  
She rubbed her forehead as she clicked off the cell phone and put it back in its charger. Talking to her parents could be an ordeal sometimes. She frowned. That thought had brought some unwanted memories. She knew Marshall had reminded her of someone the day they had met, and now she realized who. "Mother," she whispered to the empty room.  
  
Adara had too many memories, for her taste, of her real mother, whom her father had divorced when she was seven. She remembered her mother being able to wear different personalities depending on who she was interacting with. It had been almost frightening to Adara's young mind to watch. And her mother's emotional state could change in the blink of an eye... (Of course the alcohol probably helped with that,) Adara thought bitterly. Briefly, she entertained the thought that Marshall might be an alcoholic, but waved it away. He didn't seem the type.  
  
"No, he's definitely in control of everything. In fact, almost too much in control. I wonder if he lets anything slip past him," she mused aloud.  
  
Exhaustion swept over her again and she sighed. (I'll figure it out later,) she thought. (For now I could use a good...) She looked at the bed and winced. (...a decent night's sleep.)  
  
------  
  
Calixta was at the front desk when the door opened and Adara stepped in. She looked up and smiled when she saw her friend. "Well?" she demanded as she stood up.  
  
Adara flashed her a grin and pulled up the collar of her jacket to show Calixta the lieutenant commander's bar that now sat there.  
  
"Congratulations!" Calixta said as she hugged the taller woman. "We knew you could do it!"  
  
"Do what?" Miakoda asked as she wandered in. "Oh Adara, you're back! So...did you make it?"  
  
"I made it," the auburn-haired woman replied with a grin. "Barely. You are now looking at Lieutenant Commander Davis."  
  
"Congratulations! Or should I say congratulations, sir! Seeing as how you outrank us now..."  
  
"This doesn't change anything," Adara assured the willowy Navajo. "Except that now I have to do more paperwork."  
  
"Well, better you than me," Calixta said somewhat unsympathetically.  
  
Adara just shook her head and gave a mock sigh. "I'd better go check in with the commander. I'll fill you two in on the details later!"  
  
She walked down the polished marble hall slowly, in no real rush to report in. She had actually enjoyed getting out of the city for the week, and she knew now that she had returned it would be back to fighting the seemingly endless stream of Lucifer Hawks. As she reached the commander's office, she straightened her jacket and then knocked once.  
  
"Come in," she heard Mackenzie's voice float through the door.  
  
"Lieutenant Commander Davis reporting in," she said as she entered.  
  
"Congratulations," Mackenzie offered with a smile. "How was your trip?"  
  
"Very...interesting actually," Adara said as she sat down. "Captain Marshall was most informative. He's a very knowledgeable man when it comes to military tactics."  
  
"Yes he is," the older woman agreed. "Marshall was my commanding officer up until I took command of the ECC. He's a good man."  
  
"So you've known him a while then?" Adara asked, her interest piqued.  
  
"He was there after my accident," Mackenzie informed her. "I wouldn't be here today without his help."  
  
"I see," the younger woman replied, her mouth falling into a small frown.  
  
"Is there something wrong?"  
  
"It's probably nothing..."  
  
"But?"  
  
"But well, I don't know. It's just the impression I got when I was around him. That there was something...wrong."  
  
Mackenzie waved her protests aside. "He can be a hard man to get along with on a personal level, I understand. Don't worry Adara, I've known Damien Marshall for a long time and I know we can trust him."  
  
(Right,) she thought to herself. (If the commander says we can trust him, who am I to go against it?) She nodded at her commanding officer and then asked to be excused so she could catch up on paperwork.  
  
"Dismissed, Lieutenant Commander," Jameson replied as she stressed the last word with a smile.  
  
Adara smiled back. "Thank you, sir. Have a good afternoon," she added as she headed out.  
  
------  
  
"Hey, Amber, how's it coming?" Tad asked as he poked his head into the Sentinel research room. It was almost five o'clock, and most of the day staff had already gone home. For a moment, he thought that the room was empty, though he hadn't seen Amber leave. And he'd been watching for her. He put the two cups of coffee he carried down on one of the tables.  
  
"It's not," the tired looking lump that was Amber said, her voice slightly muffled because her head was buried in her arms.  
  
"You mean you haven't found anything?" Tad asked. "That's odd in itself..."  
  
"Oh, I've found things." Amber stood up and stretched. "It's just that none of it makes any sense when you put it all together. I've got this Marshall guy, and this Jameson woman that are connected somehow, but all of the clippings are so vague, and so much of the information that I need is classified, and no one who knows anything is about to tell me about it."  
  
"That's journalism for you," Tad said, pointedly reminding himself not to notice how well Amber's breasts stood out when she stretched. "We want to know things that certain people don't want us to know. We look, they hide. That's how it goes."  
  
"Thanks for the pep talk, Daniels," Amber said sarcastically. "You could do something useful, you know, instead of standing there telling me about 'how it is.'"  
  
"The great Amber Ramirez? Asking for my humble help? I'm flattered. What do you want me to do first?"  
  
"Well, you could go get me..." Amber started to say.  
  
Tad set one of the cardboard coffee cups in front of her. "Already did it. I passed a vending machine in the hall and thought I should bring you something to drink, too. Thought you might need it." Amber lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip.  
  
"Extra sweet with just a little bit of cream. Just the way I like it," she said, nodding in approval. "Thanks, Daniels. You're a lifesaver."  
  
Tad pulled up a chair next to her and looked over her shoulder at the notes she'd already written.  
  
"So is this Jameson woman still alive? Still in the Navy?" Tad asked.  
  
Amber tapped a few buttons on the computer keyboard and pulled up a screen with a picture of Mackenzie in the right-hand corner.  
  
"This was what I was able to find. She's apparently been transferred to the ECC...can't remember what that stands for at the moment, but it looks like she got pushed into a desk job. Anyway, her organization is under Navy oversight, but it doesn't seem to have any connection to the mem-sweep business."  
  
"It might be worth it to find out what she had to say," Tad suggested.  
  
"And she might refuse to talk to me because it would bring up painful memories of this 'accident,' or whatever it was. She might be more helpful than Marshall was, though."  
  
"You talked to him?" Tad asked.  
  
"Earlier this week. The man...gave me the creeps. I just know that there were things he wasn't telling me. I could feel it."  
  
"You usually have a pretty good sense of these things," Tad said, and smiled at her. Amber preened at the praise.  
  
"I don't think there's much more I'm going to find out here," Amber said. "So I guess I'd better get going if I'm going to look her up tonight." She grabbed her coffee, her notebook, and her purse off of the back of her chair.  
  
"You're going over there tonight?" Tad asked, surprised. (There go my dinner plans... And just when I had the perfectly opportunity to ask her, too.) Tad sighed. As usual, fate was just not smiling on him.  
  
"Sure!" Amber replied. "The sooner I get to this Jameson woman, the sooner I get the story done. Thanks for the drink, Daniels! I'll see you later!" The automatic doors of the research room barely had time to sense her presence before she was through them.  
  
"That's...a great attitude you've got there, Ramirez," Tad said to an empty room. "Just great."  
  
------  
  
As she sat in her office, chewing on the end of a pen and idly tapping a foot, Adara felt herself still troubled by the conversation she had had earlier that day with Mackenzie. She wondered what it was about Damien Marshall that had caused the hairs on the back of her neck to rise. She was so deeply involved in her introspection that she failed to notice a certain tall, willowy Navajo who had been trying to get her attention for nearly a minute.  
  
"Earth to Adara," Miakoda said as she waved a hand in front of Adara's grey eyes.  
  
"Oh, Miakoda!" Adara started. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."  
  
"So I noticed. Is everything okay? You've seemed...withdrawn lately since you returned from Connecticut. Did something happen?"  
  
"Not exactly..." she frowned. She thought back over the conversation with Mackenzie, trying to decide whether or not she should worry the others with it. (It was probably nothing,) she reminded herself firmly. (Nothing to bother Miakoda and Calixta with.)  
  
She looked up and noticed the worried look on the taller woman's face. "Sorry, Miakoda," she apologized with half a grin. "It really is nothing you need to worry about. Just a little personality conflict, I think."  
  
"Well if you ever need to talk, my office is always open."  
  
"I appreciate it, really. But I'll be all right."  
  
Miakoda sensed the cue to leave and did just that after once again offering to listen. Now she was the one frowning as she made her way back to her office. It wasn't like Adara to get too introspective, at least not while they were at work. Now for the first time since the lieutenant commander had returned, she wondered what had happened in Connecticut.  
  
As she walked back to her office, she noticed Calixta sitting at the front desk, deeply involved in a project of her own. She started to read over the younger woman's shoulder, wondering what could be so fascinating. "Building plans?" she asked out loud once she realized what the other woman was studying.  
  
Calixta started and threw a mock glare at her companion. "Don't do that," she said sourly. "And yes, they're building plans. Specifically, plans to redesign some of the storage space we have in the back so that it can be used as a holomodule."  
  
"Ah." She stood in silence for a moment, wondering if she should bring up her concerns about Adara. "Calixta, have you noticed anything odd about Adara these last few days?"  
  
"Adara?" she asked as she looked up from the plans in surprise. "I don't think so..."  
  
"She just seems a bit more introspective than normal." Miakoda let out a small sigh as she noticed that Calixta had already gone back to looking at the plans.  
  
"I'm sure it's nothing," the younger woman said without looking up. "She's probably just busy with more paperwork or something. Hmm...looks like we'll have to hire contractors for some of this." She made a few notes on her laptop.  
  
Suddenly Calixta's concentration was broken as her laptop and the main computer both started flashing alarms. She immediately swung her chair around so she was facing the nearest computer.  
  
"Give me a report," Adara shouted as she entered the main room.  
  
"We've got a 324-LH at East 40th past Lexington," replied Calixta.  
  
Adara looked to Mackenzie, who had entered the room and then nodded. "Take this one out as soon as you can. We're not holding back anymore."  
  
All three of her subordinates shared identical grins. "Let's go," said Adara as she grabbed her gun and led the way to their STAV, named 'The Aurora'. Calixta and Miakoda followed, each grabbing a gun and various other armaments before heading to the roof.  
  
They arrived at the scene minutes too late. The only remnant of the Lucifer Hawk's victim was a bit of blood on bone staining the dark pavement. "Damn," Adara cursed under her breath. She sighed. "At least we got here before NYPD showed up."  
  
"It's still here," Miakoda whispered. "I can still sense its evil."  
  
"Stay on your guard."  
  
"Calixta, behind you!"  
  
The red-head whirled at the Navajo's warning just in time to avoid being the Hawk's next victim. The three of them turned to face the Hawk as it materialized out of the wall. It was one of the largest ones the ECC had seen in a long time. Calixta looked down at her scanner and swallowed hard...all her readings indicated a Category One. "You guys be careful," she warned. "This isn't a pushover Hawk."  
  
The Lucifer Hawk looked at them with something resembling a sneer, as though it knew that it had the advantage over these three women. "So this is the fabled ECC...three puny humans. It's amazing that you've survived long enough to face me."  
  
"We're not your average 'three puny humans,'" Adara said as a ball of flame formed in her hand.  
  
------  
  
Amber Ramirez knew that no one appreciated interviews at this late hour, but she didn't care. She was tired of running into dead ends on this story, especially when the first draft was only a day from being due. She had expected to be met with resistance on this story, but nothing this severe. Amber was not a conspiracy theorist, but she was very uncomfortable with exactly how many people weren't telling her the truth.  
  
The last option she now had was to interview this supposed Mackenzie Jameson. And if she was turned down now...she didn't know what she would do. (There's no way I'm walking away from this empty-handed,) she thought with determination. (I'm going to get the truth out of these people if I have to stay there all night.)  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by what sounded like loud sounds coming from her left. She couldn't see what it was, but she saw an alleyway that led off behind the building complex. Other passersby were looking down the alley warily, but were wise enough to stay away from it. Amber, on the other hand, knew it was better for a reporter to listen to curiosity than reason.  
  
------  
  
As Adara readied to throw her fireball at the Hawk, she expected it to react in some way, but it didn't move. She briefly wondered exactly what it was waiting for, but she decided to take her chance while she had it. She threw the fireball at the Hawk – which suddenly disappeared.  
  
"Watch out!!"  
  
Miakoda yelled out a warning and threw up her hands in front of them. An image of an eagle appeared, just barely shielding them from the column of flame that was thrown back at them. The shield didn't last long before it disintegrated, leaving them scrambling for cover. The Hawk reappeared behind them.  
  
Adara instinctively shot more flames at the enemy, but it just deflected it back at Adara with nearly twice the force. Miakoda and Calixta watched in horror as their teammate was engulfed in flames. The fire elemental emerged...alive, but somewhat scorched.  
  
The Hawk laughed. "Useless tricks...if I had known fighting you would be this easy, I would have asked Jerel to kill you all long ago."  
  
The name Jerel jumped out at Calixta...she remembered Mackenzie saying that was the name of the Lucifer Hawk that talked with Roy. She didn't have much time to ponder it, however, as the Hawk prepared to charge again. Calixta raised her NX-5150 and fired, but the bullet circled back towards her. She barely managed to dodge.  
  
"Adara, Miakoda, don't attack this one directly!" she called out to her companions. "It's just reflecting our attacks back at us!"  
  
"Little good such knowledge will do you," the Hawk responded. "There is still no way for you to defeat me."  
  
"Apparently there's no way to shut you up, either," Calixta muttered, although she still didn't know how they were going to prove him wrong.  
  
------  
  
Amber turned as she saw flashes of light and heard large crashes coming from close by. (What the hell was that?) she thought, heading toward the commotion. Her heart was pounding with anxiety...something that didn't happen often.  
  
All of that came to a screeching halt when she finally saw what it was.  
  
Barely visible in the fading sunlight were three women, all in uniform, and all armed to the hilt. They were facing down what appeared to be some enormous monster, complete with claws, scales, fangs, and eyes in strange places. And upon her arrival, the creature immediately turned and looked at her.  
  
"There are four of you?" The creature bellowed in a deep, echoing voice. "You think you can trick me?!"  
  
The monster charged in her direction, eyes glaring straight into her. Amber's instincts told her to run, but she couldn't get her body to respond. She thought of weapons, distractions, turning invisible, anything except running away.  
  
Just as the hideous thing was about to descend upon her, a blast of fire seemingly from out of nowhere hit it in the side, knocking it off its feet. Amber suddenly came to her senses and ran...she didn't care where, just as long as it was as far away from the monster as possible. She tried to go back the way she had come, but the alleys all blurred into each other, and she didn't stop until she could see the main street ahead.  
  
Amber stumbled onto the sidewalk, trying to catch her breath. She looked behind her for the pursuing monster, but she saw nothing. There were no flashes of light or loud sounds...just the normal sights and sounds of the city.  
  
(What on earth did I just see?)  
  
Amber mentally kicked herself. (Well, you wouldn't know because you ran away! What kind of journalist flees the scene of a story? It's your job to be put in the line of fire.)  
  
She picked herself up and brushed herself off before heading back into the maze of alleys. Monster or no monster, she would kill herself before getting chased away from the truth. She knew that this wasn't going to help with her mem-sweep story, and yet... There was something very wrong about this, for more reasons than just the monster. She felt as if something even bigger was being kept from her...and she was determined to find out what.  
  
It took Amber a lot of time to find her way back, because she wasn't sure what direction she had run. However, after about 20 minutes of searching, she recognized the spot where she had first seen the monsters and the women in uniform. (I'm almost certain this is the same corner.) She stepped around the wall quietly...  
  
...and was met with an empty alleyway.  
  
There was no monster and no women anywhere. There was a pool of darkish blood staining the ground, and the walls were scorched. She kicked a piece of trash in frustration. (If only I hadn't run away earlier...)  
  
A fierce gust of wind whipped against her face and caused her to look up. Skimming just about the rooftops was an unmarked, expensive-looking surface- to-air vehicle. Amber knew that STAVs were hard to come by without special government permits and licenses. This one was sleek and black, just right for getting into and out of places unnoticed. The aircraft lingered over the alleyway for a minute before disappearing over the horizon as quickly as it had appeared.  
  
Amber glared at the departing vehicle, feeling as if it were challenging her. She accepted the challenge. "Just you wait...I'll get to the bottom of this."  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Next Episode Preview:  
  
Miakoda: "What is reality? Sometimes it seems like nothing more than a grand illusion—a magician's trick. What appears most substantial disappears before our eyes like a flickering candle, or like the morning mist. As we awaken into the dream of our lives, we begin to wonder whether we can trust our senses, our knowledge, our friends...or even ourselves." Episode 2: 'Smoke and Mirrors.' 


	2. Smoke and Mirrors

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny  
  
Book 1: New York  
  
Chapter 2: Smoke and Mirrors  
  
Authors: OSTOCOM Email and Website: see our profile  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See Book 0 for complete disclaimer.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
An eight-year-old girl with pigtails skipped down the sidewalk, swinging her backpack along beside her. It was a sunny day, school had just gotten out, and she didn't have a care in the world.  
  
Then she saw the monster.  
  
It flitted above her head like a bloated, steel-gray tadpole. Even though it had no eyes, it followed her with unerring instinct as she began backing away. Its mouth opened above her head, and a stream of drool wound its way through rows and rows of teeth, splashing at last on the girl's freckled nose. The girl screamed and ran. The monster flicked its tail and swam effortlessly through the air, coming closer to its prey every second.  
  
Three women began running after the monster and the girl. The shots from their guns and the clacking sound of their boots on the pavement blended together to create a pulsing rhythm. A few of the shots hit the monster, and it began spurting green blood. It hissed and swooped down around the girl's ankles. She screamed.  
  
"I've got it!" shouted a slender auburn-haired woman. She took aim and fired. The monster slithered out of the way, and the shot hit the girl in the leg. She fell, and the monster dove toward her, sinking its teeth into her neck. Blood shot into the air and her neck snapped with a sickening crunch.  
  
Two of the women looked away in disgust, but the third, a short redhead, simply sighed. "Computer, freeze program," she said.  
  
She turned toward the auburn-haired woman. "Well, that was a fine example of precision marksmanship, Commander."  
  
"What happened?" Miakoda asked, looking from her commanding officer to the eerily paused melee.  
  
"The Hawk fought dirty!" Adara replied heatedly.  
  
"Of course it did," Calixta said. "They always do. But that wouldn't have mattered if your reaction time hadn't been so slow."  
  
Adara gritted her teeth. "We've been at this for two and a half hours, Lieutenant."  
  
"Right," Calixta said. "Looks like we need to go for an even three."  
  
Adara's fingers began twitching. Miakoda noticed and said hastily, "Maybe we should stop soon. It has been a long day."  
  
Calixta looked at her teammates and noticed for the first time how tired they seemed. To be honest, she didn't feel much better. "All right," she said. "Just one more round. Computer, close present file and run file LHAttack3.sim."  
  
The computer whirred, and at last the girl, monster, and sidewalk disappeared. The lights dimmed and an alleyway surrounded the three women. They heard a thumping and clanking sound coming from the dumpster. "Get ready," Calixta whispered.  
  
Suddenly the lid of the dumpster flew off as a swarm of Category Threes burst out. Miakoda reflexively raised her arms and created an energy shield. The Hawks slid through it as though there were nothing there. "I need backup over here!" she shouted.  
  
Adara spun around and fired a shot—or tried to. Unfortunately, her finger slid through the trigger without setting off any reaction. "What the hell?"  
  
"Looks like something's wrong with the SATI," Calixta said. "Try mine." She tossed her gun to Adara, but it too slid right through Adara's hand.  
  
The Hawks began swarming around the three women. "Computer!" Calixta shouted. "End program!"  
  
The program continued running. More and more Hawks congregated in the alley, forcing their opponents back into a corner. "Looks like voice recognition is down, too," Calixta said.  
  
"I'd say that's the least of our worries," Adara commented. "How are we going to get rid of all of these?"  
  
"Manual override," Calixta said.  
  
"But there's no way—" Adara began. She watched in astonishment as Calixta sprinted through the hive of Category Threes all the way over to the far wall. After Calixta tapped a few buttons on an instrument panel, the Hawks and the alley vanished without a trace.  
  
"See, this is really, really bad."  
  
Adara wasn't sure she'd sum up the situation that way, but she decided to humor Calixta. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, for one thing, the computer isn't recognizing voice commands, and for another, we're having problems with the Solidification and Tactile Interface."  
  
"What does that mean?" Miakoda asked.  
  
"Without the SATI, we're basically just fighting collections of photons, which doesn't make for a realistic simulation at all. Real Hawks can't get through your shield and I can't run through real Hawks, but Adara can fire a real gun, and fairly decently most of the time."  
  
"Thanks...I think," Adara said.  
  
Calixta grinned and then sighed. "Honestly, I just don't think the primary memory was designed to handle this kind of input. I'll have to see if there's some way I can reroute our secondary systems through some other interface to free up system resources, or whether I'll have to buy and install an upgrade—" She yawned. "And then I'll have to, um—wait, there was something else..."  
  
"Calixta," Miakoda interrupted. "What about the contractors you were talking about hiring?"  
  
"Oh, um, I decided against it. Too expensive. Besides, I can handle it." Calixta yawned again.  
  
"Have you even been home since you started working on this project?" Miakoda asked.  
  
"Well...no...but it's not like I have anything better to do at home."  
  
"You could sleep," Miakoda pointed out.  
  
"I don't need sleep," Calixta snapped. "I have caramel frappuccinos."  
  
"Lieutenant Solaris!" Adara barked. "You will hire contractors, and you will take a nap! These are your orders."  
  
"Yes, sir!" Calixta saluted. "Request permission to fall asleep, sir."  
  
"Granted," Adara said, smiling.  
  
"Thanks." Calixta collapsed on the floor and curled up into a ball.  
  
"Calixta?" Miakoda said. "Are you sure you don't want to sleep on the couch upstairs? You'd be more comfortable."  
  
"Nahfie," Calixta mumbled.  
  
Miakoda shrugged. "If you say so."  
  
"I'll fight you for the couch," Adara said.  
  
"That's all right," Miakoda replied. "You can have it. I'll just—" She was going to say, 'get some work done,' but upon further reflection, she decided she was too tired. She finished with a yawn, "—sleep somewhere else."  
  
------  
  
Several miles north of the simulated carnage, a very frustrated Amber Ramirez shut the door to Captain Marshall's office. Her second interview with the captain had been like pulling teeth, and at the moment, Amber longed to yank out a few of Captain Marshall's. Maybe that would take the smarminess of his smile down a few notches.  
  
Her fingers clenched her pencil as she replayed the interview in her mind: (What could he tell her about how mem-sweeps worked? Not much. He had only supervised the experiments, not created the technology. So who did create the technology? He didn't know. He could name a few scientists who had worked with it, but they hadn't invented the procedure. Did he have any idea who had? He thought maybe someone named Avaré. Did he have any contact information for this Avaré? Sadly, no. What about a list of the test subjects? He was very sorry to refuse such a pretty journalist, but that information was classified. She understood, but was he absolutely certain that Mackenzie Jameson hadn't been a test subject? Why did she insist on this so vehemently? He had been Jameson's commanding officer, and he would certainly know if she had been. How had she come to be so misinformed? Her sources were protected, but she had read about the accident on the Victorious... wasn't it coincidental that Jameson should contract amnesia while on a ship that was performing mem-sweep experiments? He stood by what he said before. The two incidents were totally unrelated.)  
  
"Always with the lies and the deception!" Amber exclaimed. Her pencil snapped in half, and she picked up the pieces distractedly. Why wasn't anyone being upfront with her about what was going on? One thing was for sure—Marshall did not want her to think that Mackenzie had been a test subject. Nonetheless, Amber was convinced that she had been, or else Marshall would not have been so evasive. Still, she couldn't prove anything—at least, not yet....  
  
She thought of something her favorite journalism professor had told her: "When you can, always get your information straight from the horse's mouth." Amber giggled in spite of herself. It was such a funny expression. She always took the intent seriously, though. And tomorrow she planned to head to the stables and get a look at one of the horses....  
  
------  
  
When Calixta and Adara returned to work the next morning, they found a woman sitting in the waiting room. Miakoda was already at the front desk, apparently working, although she kept throwing glances at their guest. The woman stood up when they entered and took off the sunglasses she had been wearing. She stood about 5'7" and most of that was in her legs, which were gorgeously sculpted. She was on the thin side, and the black dress suit she was wearing only seemed to emphasize that fact. Her auburn hair was cut short and perfectly styled. She smiled at them, and Calixta felt a little shiver pass through her. This woman was definitely cold.  
  
Adara stiffened. She almost hadn't recognized the woman standing before them until she had smiled. Adara would recognize that slightly haughty smile and those cold blue eyes anywhere. "Mother!" she blurted out quickly.  
  
"Hello, Adara. It's been a while."  
  
The lieutenant commander scowled. "Yes, it has. I wonder why?" she asked sarcastically. She clenched her right hand into a fist as she fought for control over her emotions.  
  
The two women stared at one another for an endless moment. Finally, the older woman broke her daughter's gaze and looked down at the floor. "I guess it is my fault. But it's good to see you again."  
  
Calixta and Miakoda looked back and forth between Adara and her mother. The resemblance was uncanny when they stood side by side. Their field commander definitely took after her mother in looks. The tense silence was finally broken as Calixta nudged Adara in the ribs. "Are you going to introduce us?" she whispered.  
  
"My mother, Erika Jacobs. Mother, these are my teammates Calixta Solaris and Miakoda Nakai." She indicated each woman in turn.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Erika replied, offering each one a small nod. "Adara, may I speak with you alone?"  
  
"I'm very busy now," she answered brusquely. "I don't even know how you found me here. Perhaps if you come back later?" She started to walk out of the room towards her office, but Miakoda blocked her path.  
  
"Talk to her," the Navajo whispered. "She did come all this way."  
  
Adara glared at her for a moment, but finally turned back around. "My office is this way. Follow me." She headed back, not bothering to check and see if Erika was actually following her.  
  
Once they had left, the other ECC members exchanged worried glances. "I've never seen Adara lose her cool quite like that," Calixta commented as she traded places with Miakoda behind the front desk. "I mean, she may get upset, but she's never rude."  
  
"Ms. Jacobs indicated that there was a falling out many years ago," Miakoda explained. "I doubt they've spoken since. And I know Adara's father got custody of her when she was seven, so it's likely she hasn't seen her mother for years. This has to take an emotional toll on her."  
  
"Well...I guess. But still..." Calixta cast a glance at the closed door where the reunion was taking place. "You don't suppose we ought to have the fire department on standby, do you? Just in case?"  
  
Miakoda just sighed.  
  
------  
  
"How have you been?" Erika asked as she took a seat in the slightly uncomfortable chair situated in front of her daughter's desk.  
  
Adara had to fight a smile as she watched her mother try to get comfortable, although she realized she shouldn't be that petty. "Fine."  
  
Erika looked exasperated. "You could try being a bit more polite to your mother, Adara. I did come all the way out here to see you."  
  
"Which begs the question why, doesn't it? So tell me, Mother, why after all these years do you suddenly decide to finally remember that your only child still exists?"  
  
"I'm a different person than the one you remember, dear. I've come to reconcile. It's been too long since I've seen my baby girl. And may I say you've grown up beautifully." She smiled beatifically.  
  
Adara found herself thrown of guard at the kind sentiment. (No thanks to you,) she thought to herself. "Yeah, thanks. Dad and Judith made sure of that, and I'm grateful to them."  
  
Erika narrowed her eyes. "Spiteful today, aren't we?"  
  
"It's nothing less than you deserve!" Adara spat. "After everything that happened, you think you can just waltz back into my life? You've got to be kidding me!" She clenched her right hand slightly as she glared across the desk.  
  
"Be careful. You're liable to start a fire."  
  
The glare worsened. "Like the one I started when I was seven, right?" Her hand clenched harder and a small spurt of flame shot up. "Get out. I don't know why you even bothered coming here. Just get out. I never want to see you again."  
  
Erika looked hurt. "Adara, be reasonable—"  
  
"Out!" the fire elemental roared. The air in the office started to get warmer. "I can't believe that after all this time, you still won't admit the truth!"  
  
"Adara—"  
  
"Just go. Or I won't be responsible for what happens." The young woman turned her back on her mother.  
  
Erika looked at her daughter for a long moment before shaking her head and standing up. "If that's what you want, I'll go. But don't think this is over, young lady. You and I still have a lot to talk about." Her heels clicked loudly in the silence as she left.  
  
Once she was outside the office, she dropped the airs she had affected and sighed. "Well, that could have gone better," she admitted to no one in particular.  
  
A certain Native American, however, happened to be within hearing distance. "Let me talk to her," Miakoda offered as she put a sympathetic hand on Erika's shoulder. "Adara can be stubborn sometimes, but if you can get her to calm down, she'll usually listen to reason."  
  
The older woman shook her head. "I'm afraid she gets it from me. I'd appreciate any help you could give. We didn't exactly part on the best of terms...but I want to be a part of her life again."  
  
Miakoda smiled reassuringly. "I'll see what I can do. Is there a number she can reach you at?"  
  
After scribbling a quick note, Erika thanked her again and took her leave. As she stepped into the chilly November air, she pulled her coat a little tighter and smirked. Things were going to go well if she could get the sympathy of the other ECC members. It was time to report back to Jerel. The plan was going perfectly.  
  
------  
  
Adara was almost tempted not to answer when she heard the knocking at her door. She had a fairly good idea of who was waiting on the other side, and she wasn't quite ready for the confrontation she knew was coming. The knocker was insistent, however, and finally Adara found herself saying, "Come in."  
  
As she suspected, it was Miakoda who opened the door. The willowy Navajo entered her office and shut the door behind her. She offered Adara a smile and a cup of coffee, both of which the lieutenant commander accepted gratefully.  
  
"I was hoping we could talk," Miakoda offered after a few moments of silence.  
  
"There's nothing to talk about," Adara insisted.  
  
"Your mother's back. It's been many years since you've seen her, hasn't it? I can't imagine how hard this must be for you."  
  
Adara laughed mirthlessly. "Hard? Get real, Miakoda. I honestly don't care if I ever see that woman again."  
  
"I find that difficult to believe. You wouldn't have agreed to talk to her, even had I asked you, if you didn't really want to. What's bothering you, Adara? It seemed like you wouldn't even listen to her." Miakoda looked imploringly at the other woman, hoping she could get her teammate to let out whatever the problem was.  
  
"You wouldn't understand," she sighed heavily as she closed her eyes. "After all these years...she still can't admit the truth."  
  
"The truth?"  
  
Adara looked torn for a moment, but she shut off her emotions and said, "Nothing."  
  
"Adara..."  
  
"I said it was nothing!" Internally, Adara winced. That had come out a bit harsher than she had expected.  
  
Miakoda held up her hands peaceably. "All right, I understand. But if you ever want to talk just let me know. And let me give you this." She handed over the small slip of paper with Erika's phone number on it. "In case you change your mind."  
  
"That won't happen," the fire elemental said coldly. However, Miakoda noticed that she tucked the paper into her desk drawer.  
  
"You know where I'll be if you need me." With that she took her leave.  
  
The ECC's field commander hardly noticed Miakoda's exit as she squeezed her eyes shut to hold back tears. (Mother...after everything that happened, why are you here now?) She stared at the ceiling searching for answers that she knew would not come.  
  
------  
  
Adara sat in her office, contemplating the recent return of her mother and her conversation with Miakoda. She was completely unprepared for the crackle of the intercom and Commander Jameson's voice ordering her to report to her office at once. Adara started, and her chair, which had been leaning back, toppled over. She picked herself up off of the ground with an embarrassed smile.  
  
"Lieutenant Commander? Are you all right?" Jameson asked over the com.  
  
"Fine, fine!" she barked as she tried to right both herself and the chair. She was glad neither of her teammates had witnessed that. No doubt Calixta would have teased her about it for weeks. She laughed slightly. "Just a little accident. You wanted to see me, sir?"  
  
"At your earliest convince, Commander," Mackenzie's voice replied dryly.  
  
"On my way, sir." She gave the chair one last glare before filing out of her office and down the hall.  
  
------  
  
"Chief, are you crazy?"  
  
Mackenzie looked back at Adara, a faint smile playing at the corner of her lips. "It's very possible."  
  
"I mean—" Adara blushed, appalled at her own impoliteness. Twice in one day. She hoped this wasn't going to become a habit. She drew herself up to attention. "May I speak freely, sir?"  
  
"By all means, Commander Davis."  
  
"I'm not sure it's a good idea to speak to a journalist. You just don't know what they might find out about us if they get suspicious."  
  
"And I have a feeling this journalist would get more suspicious if I refused to speak to her. One thing I've learned as an officer is to take the press seriously."  
  
"Yes, sir." Adara hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Are you sure you're taking it seriously enough?"  
  
"Yes," Mackenzie said. "I am. Ms. Ramirez is working on a story about the memory sweeps. Most likely she wants my opinion about the testing. It doesn't seem to me that her questions will have anything to do with what we do here."  
  
An alarm sounded, and Calixta's voice came over the intercom. "Red alert! Hawk attack at Metropolitan and Bedford."  
  
"That's your cue," Mackenzie said, gesturing. "Exit, stage left."  
  
"Yes, sir!" Adara saluted and ran out of the room.  
  
Mackenzie sighed. Despite what she had told Adara, she wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of an interview. Memory was a sore point for her. Since her accident six years ago, she hadn't been able to remember anything past her seventeenth birthday. She remembered spilling ice cream cake on her new shirt...the smell of candles...her parents' laughter...a badly wrapped package containing an old hardback copy of Milton's Paradise Lost...but everything after that day was a dense white fog. The harder she tried to penetrate the fog, the thicker it got, until she felt as though she were suffocating in her own mind. She couldn't imagine why anyone would want to give people the power to create this sense of powerlessness, this total loss of self—  
  
Well, of course there might be another side to the issue, but Mackenzie couldn't see it through the white fog. She disapproved of the mem-sweep project wholeheartedly. She couldn't understand why anyone on the Victorious would have volunteered for the procedure. Its implications were frightening, and she was of the opinion that such tests should never have been permitted in the first place.  
  
"And that's what I'll tell her," Mackenzie said aloud. There was no need to go into detail. She buttoned the jacket of her crisp navy-blue suit and smoothed her French twist hairdo. As she left the room, she locked the door to her office behind her. It was time to meet the press.  
  
------  
  
"How familiar are you with mem-sweep technology, Commander?" Amber looked across the restaurant table at Mackenzie and readied her pencil.  
  
Mackenzie took a sip of her dry martini. "I understand the Navy conducted some preliminary tests. I don't know anyone who participated, or much about the procedure itself, though."  
  
"Are you sure about that?" Amber leaned forward, training every journalistic sense on Mackenzie, hoping to get some clue to this ridiculous riddle.  
  
"Yes," Mackenzie said. "I don't believe in grasping for power or in trying to play God with people's lives. That was the mistake that lost us Paradise."  
  
"So naturally, you avoided the issue." Amber's brow furrowed. Commander Jameson was telling the truth, and what she said made sense, but—  
  
"I'm sorry I don't know anything helpful." Mackenzie spoke with genuine regret.  
  
Amber smiled as she fiddled with her crystal necklace. It was refreshing to find someone who was actually trying to tell her the truth. Still, the fact that none of the stories were lining up frustrated her. On a hunch, she said casually, "It's too bad you weren't a test subject, or something like that."  
  
"I would never be a test subject!" Mackenzie exclaimed.  
  
The commander's vehemence took Amber aback, but she pursued the point. "Of course not...but hypothetically, would you remember if you had been?"  
  
"I wouldn't know."  
  
"I'd like to ask you about your accident six years ago...the one on the Victorious," Amber began hesitantly.  
  
"What?" Mackenzie stared at her, confused and suspicious.  
  
"I was just wondering about it. The timing of it...and the fact that the Victorious was conducting mem-sweep tests on board."  
  
"Those two events have nothing to do with each other." Mackenzie signaled the waiter and paid for the drinks. "I need to go back to work."  
  
"So do I," Amber muttered as Mackenzie left. "So do I."  
  
------  
  
The glass window on the phone booth was broken, making Amber feel completely exposed. She shouldn't be making this call here and now anyway, but she had to be sure....  
  
She swiped her electronic payment card and dialed the number. One ring...two...good, she was there, after all. She cupped her hand around the mouthpiece and said in a stage whisper, "Admiral Henderson?"  
  
The wind whistled through the glass, as though trying to snatch at her private conversation. "Yes, yes, I know I shouldn't be calling...right, I'm sorry...yes, this will be quick...I just have to ask—are you absolutely sure about Commander Jameson? ...What? Yes, I'll hold..."  
  
Amber had just begun humming along to "Hail to the Chief" when she heard a click on the other end of the line. "Hello, Admiral?"  
  
The only response was the mechanical buzz of the dial tone.  
  
Amber frowned. Admiral Henderson had been a source of hers for nearly a year, had always been polite and helpful, and had been unusually forthcoming with information on this story. So why the sudden secrecy?  
  
Amber fingered her necklace. No...she had heard the sincerity in Admiral Henderson's voice, followed by the harried tone of someone who had been interrupted. The admiral had meant to give her the information. So she wouldn't have hung up on her, which meant...  
  
Amber dialed the number again. Nothing. The silence on the end of the line confirmed her suspicions more than anything the admiral could have said. It also proved the stakes were much higher than anyone had imagined....  
  
Adrenaline surged through Amber, and she dialed the next number with remarkable speed. "Hello, Commander Jameson?" she said. "We need to talk."  
  
------  
  
Amber stepped up to the building where Mackenzie Jameson worked. It was a short, plain brown-brick building—clearly designed to be functional, not beautiful. But that was the modern way, Amber thought regretfully. There wasn't much time to be spent on aesthetics anymore.  
  
Her architectural reverie was interrupted by the arrival of three women: a short redhead, a slim auburn-haired woman, and a tall Native American. The auburn-haired woman was disheveled and her gray eyes blazed with fury. "I can't believe how many Hawk attacks we've had! At this rate—"  
  
Amber's ears perked up. These women looked vaguely familiar. Hadn't she seen them recently? "Hawks?" she asked.  
  
The three women snapped their heads toward her. Two of them looked inexplicably nervous, as though they'd been caught doing something wrong. The redhead, however, looked at Amber nonchalantly and said, as though her words explained everything, "They bother the horses."  
  
"Horses?" Amber began feeling confused.  
  
"Right, because horses can't fly."  
  
"I...don't follow," Amber said, more confused than ever.  
  
"Well, hawks can fly, right?"  
  
"Yes..." Amber said, not sure where this conversation was leading.  
  
"But horses can't fly."  
  
"Right," Amber said impatiently. "So what?"  
  
"Well, if the hawks and horses get into a fight, the hawks can fly away, but the horses can't. And hawks, being birds of prey, like to attack the horses. Now, take a Clydesdale. A Clydesdale is big enough to fight back, but say you have a Shetland pony and a big hawk swoops down. Well, unless the Shetland pony knows judo—which most of them don't, and the ones that do aren't very good at it—the hawk's going to win. You see what I mean, right?"  
  
"No, I don't." Amber's temper began to get the better of her. "I don't care about any of that. All I want to do is find ECC Headquarters and speak to Mackenzie Jameson! It's urgent! Do you understand?"  
  
"If it's so urgent, why didn't you ask about Mackenzie Jameson instead of asking about hawks?"  
  
Amber clenched her fists at her sides. It was bad enough that she couldn't get any sort of reliable reading from the redhead, but it was worse to have to deal with blatant misdirection used against her by someone so infuriatingly stupid. "Well, I'm asking now!" she said through clenched teeth.  
  
The Native American woman intervened hastily. "This is Equine Cleanup and Control Headquarters. Commander Jameson is upstairs. This way."  
  
She opened the door to the building, and Amber followed her gratefully.  
  
Once Amber and Miakoda were out of sight, Adara turned to Calixta. "Well, that was strange even for you."  
  
The two went inside. Calixta looked around, and then whispered, "I think I saw her in the alley yesterday when we were fighting the Category One."  
  
Adara massaged her temples. "Seriously?"  
  
"For once, yes. And if I had to guess, I'd say she's a journalist."  
  
"Great," Adara moaned. "So why didn't you just stay quiet, or make up some plausible story?"  
  
"Because," Calixta said, "you can argue with lies, but you can't argue with crazy."  
  
Adara stared at her for a second and started laughing. "Well...I can't argue with that," she said. "Still," she added as she calmed down, "We should probably avoid talking to her again if we can help it."  
  
"I agree," Calixta said. "I have a feeling we might not be able to avoid it, though."  
  
Adara sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."  
  
------  
  
"This is it," Miakoda said, pointing to a closed office door.  
  
"Thanks," Amber said. Miakoda nodded and withdrew.  
  
Amber took a deep breath and knocked on the door of Mackenzie Jameson's office. She heard a tired but authoritative voice say, "Come in," and she obediently stepped inside.  
  
Mackenzie sat at her desk filling out paperwork. She looked up at Amber, and the lines of fatigue seemed to dig themselves deeper into her face. Nonetheless, she welcomed Amber politely and invited her to sit down.  
  
"Thank you," Amber said, sitting down in an armchair across from Mackenzie's desk. "I'm sorry to interrupt you. This won't take long."  
  
"I'm glad to hear that," Mackenzie said, smiling a little.  
  
"It's just..." Amber looked for a tactful way to phrase her suspicions, but abandoned the attempt after a few seconds. "I think you were a mem-sweep test subject."  
  
Mackenzie drew herself up in her chair. "I assure you, I wasn't."  
  
Amber hadn't expected her to say anything else, but she had secretly hoped for a more open reception. She countered calmly, "I do have my sources, Commander. Besides, you've indicated yourself that you have trouble remembering things. The doctors diagnosed you with severe amnesia, didn't they?"  
  
"My memory problem," Mackenzie replied coldly, "was the result of an accident."  
  
"Do you remember the accident?" Amber asked.  
  
"No. According to the doctors, the seconds leading up the accident never got transferred into long-term memory. It's not unusual for that to happen in cases like this."  
  
(No, but it's sure convenient,) Amber thought. She realized a confrontational attitude wouldn't help at this point, though, so she laid her opinions aside and continued probing. "Who told you about the accident?" she asked.  
  
"Captain Marshall."  
  
"And...you trust him?" Amber tried to keep the skepticism out of her voice, but some emerged anyway.  
  
"Implicitly," Mackenzie said.  
  
Amber looked at her incredulously. Mackenzie noticed the look and continued, "You're a journalist, Ms. Ramirez. It's your job to be skeptical: to question what you're told, and maybe even distrust it. But when you work with someone—and know that you may have to face death with that person—you learn to trust. You trust because you have to. I don't expect you to understand."  
  
"You're right; I don't," Amber said pointedly. "It's been my habit to only trust people who tell me the truth."  
  
Mackenzie stood up, her fingertips pressed against her desk. When she spoke, every word was weighed out with cold, deliberate authority. "If you want me to believe you, Ms. Ramirez, you'll have to present me with more convincing evidence. Right now, I only see speculation. Good afternoon."  
  
"But—"  
  
Mackenzie inclined her head in Amber's direction. Suddenly she looked tired. "If you were in my position, Ms. Ramirez, would you believe that what you're saying was the truth?"  
  
"No," Amber admitted. "But I'd look into it anyway." With that, she thanked Mackenzie for her time and left.  
  
------  
  
Amber strode furiously down the corridors of the building, her head pounding. Her story was due tomorrow, and she had next to nothing to go on. At this rate, she was going to have to settle for finding some people on the street and getting their opinions—which she wouldn't mind if it weren't going to be the whole thrust of the story. Why were so many things getting in her way?  
  
As she thought this, she ran headlong into a short man with thinning black hair and large hands. "Why don't you watch where you're going?" she asked irritably. Then she realized how rude that sounded, and said in a lower voice, "I'm sorry. Excuse me."  
  
As she began walking away, the man called after her, "There's no reason to be alarmed, miss. I'm just fixing their computer systems."  
  
Despite what he said, Amber was alarmed. She spun around, but the man had already disappeared down one of the corridors. Her necklace had gone cold enough to chill her skin. She had to find someone. Now. She had to warn them....  
  
She picked her pace up, sprinting through the hallways, narrowly avoiding hitting the walls as she ran around the corners, hoping to find someone, anyone....  
  
Suddenly she found herself in a large common room, where the three women she had seen before were sitting. "I just thought you should know," Amber gasped, "that there's a man here who claims to be fixing your computers. He's not doing anything of the kind."  
  
"What do you mean?" Miakoda asked.  
  
At the same time, Adara asked, "What makes you say that?"  
  
Calixta, however, didn't wait for any confirmation, but leaped out of her seat and ran down the hallway. Well, at least someone took her seriously, even if it was the village idiot. Amber's pent-up fury at being ignored, lied to, disbelieved, and given the runaround for over a week finally burst. "Well maybe if someone would give me a straight answer, I'd return the favor!" she shouted. "And just because no one else is trustworthy doesn't mean I'm not either!"  
  
Amber turned around and stalked out of the room. She had done what she could, and now it was time to leave. She had a story to write...if one could call it that.  
  
------  
  
Calixta raced down the hallway, her hand on her gun and her body on full alert. Her eyes scanned every person, every corner, looking for anything suspicious. Of course, with all the contractors in the building, "a man here to fix your computers" could mean anyone. (I should have asked for a description,) she thought. (But no—that would have required foresight and intelligence. Well, never mind. Think now. It would be someone standing alone...probably near a vital system...someone like that man over there....)  
  
He was short, standing on tiptoe to get a better look at the wires he was twisting back together with his large hands. Calixta stepped up behind him and tried to act nonchalant. "Hey, what are you working on there?"  
  
"I was just installing some RAM," he said, gesturing toward the panel. "Giving your holomodule a little memory boost."  
  
"Oh, I see," Calixta said. "That's amazing. I really don't know how you do it."  
  
The contractor stood up to his full height, and Calixta detected a certain swagger to his movements. "Well, it's a simple task for someone with a little technical training..."  
  
"Wow," she said. "I had no idea that a little technical training would let you install RAM for the holomodule right into the building's main power grid."  
  
The man's sense of superiority faded as his mind fumbled for an explanation. Calixta didn't plan on waiting. She pointed her gun at him and ordered, "Move."  
  
His waxy face twisted into a smile-like grimace. "You're smart," he said, "for a human."  
  
The meaning of his words didn't fully register in Calixta's mind until he started to grow. Soon he stood eight feet tall. His face flattened out, his hands turned into claws, and one of his legs morphed into a serpentine mass while the other became a cloven hoof with a spike protruding from a bulbous knee. He rasped out, "But even the intelligent must die."  
  
At this, Calixta snapped out of her shocked trance. Her mind swiftly catalogued her options. She needed to get everyone out. Now.  
  
She began to run toward the far left wall, feeling a jolt of adrenaline as she did so. The Lucifer Hawk glided behind her. He moved slowly, as though he was utterly unconcerned about whether he caught her now or later. (He thinks he can just play with me,) Calixta realized. This infuriated her. Once she reached the wall, she pulled the fire alarm with unnecessary force. Purple ink splattered all over her hand and the alarm blared through the building.  
  
Calixta wiped her hand off before pushing the button for the emergency intercom system. "Attention!" she shouted. "We have a Code One alarm. Please exit the building immediately. This is not a drill. Repeat: this is not a drill. Please exit the building immediately."  
  
She heard a grating laugh behind her. "That's good advice," the Lucifer Hawk said. "Are you going to take it?"  
  
"Not on your life," Calixta said through gritted teeth.  
  
"What about on your life?" the Hawk asked. He gestured with his club-like hands. "Perhaps you would leave if I told you I planted a bomb in that panel."  
  
"No, I sort of figured that was what you were up to," Calixta replied. "A surge bomb, is it?"  
  
He hissed in surprise, and perhaps even admiration. "You really are unusual," he said. "I might almost regret killing you."  
  
"I'm sorry the feeling's not mutual," Calixta said, readying her gun. She heard two sets of footsteps behind her.  
  
"So," Adara said, a dangerous twinkle in her gray eyes, "I hear we're having a fire drill." She pushed her arms out from her body and launched a steady stream of fire toward the Lucifer Hawk. "How does flame-broiled Hawk sound for dinner?"  
  
"Fine," Calixta said, ignoring the Category One's yelps as she made her way toward the main power grid. "But I need to take care of this bomb first."  
  
"Great," Adara muttered. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to get her flames to follow the Hawk, who was disappearing and reappearing at random.  
  
"How long do we have?" Miakoda whispered, in between the shots she fired.  
  
Calixta's fingers sifted expertly through the wires. She flipped a switch, and looked at the red digital readout. "Just under four minutes."  
  
"Can you defuse it?" Miakoda asked.  
  
"I don't know." Worry showed in Calixta's brown eyes as she punched buttons to close down electrical pathways. "Just cover Adara."  
  
"Belay that, Lieutenant Nakai." Mackenzie's authoritative voice rang through the large room. "Shield Lieutenant Solaris. I'll provide the backup."  
  
"Aye, Chief." Miakoda saluted sharply and tossed Mackenzie her gun. Mackenzie leaped up and caught it in midair. She began firing at the Lucifer Hawk before her feet hit the ground. The bullets hit him in a neat line down his midsection. He disappeared again just as Mackenzie landed in a defensive crouch.  
  
Miakoda closed her eyes briefly to concentrate her energy. A second later, a golden-brown shield surrounded her and Calixta. Just then, the Category One reappeared near them. He swung his arm furiously at the shield, but even his massive hand could not penetrate the shield.  
  
He roared in frustration. "You will not win!" he shouted.  
  
"Delta four, Commander Davis," Mackenzie ordered.  
  
Adara nodded and aimed a fireball at Miakoda's shield. The shield sizzled with the heat and the Lucifer Hawk backed away from the flames toward Mackenzie, who drew a second gun from her holster.  
  
"Now!" Mackenzie shouted. Adara circled the Hawk, maintaining a relentless flow of fire, while Mackenzie discharged rapid rounds of bullets. The Category One howled and seemed to have difficulty escaping.  
  
Behind her psychic shield, Miakoda began to sweat. "Are you almost done?" she asked.  
  
"Honestly, bombs aren't my thing," Calixta confessed. "All I can do is cut off most of the power so that we don't have as much energy surging through here when—"  
  
"But that means—"  
  
"We have a minute and a half," Calixta said. "Run!"  
  
The word echoed urgently throughout the room. Mackenzie and Adara stopped their attack, turned, and ran. Miakoda and Calixta followed hot on their heels. Down the hall. Turn. Down the stairs. There was the emergency exit door...so close....  
  
The door opened easily when Mackenzie pushed it. She, Adara, and Miakoda raced outside and ran out toward the street. Calixta reached the door at last, and as her hand brushed against it, she found herself swept up eight feet into the air.  
  
"You...will die," the Hawk growled. He was covered in clotted aquamarine blood, and there was a crazed look in his beady eyes. "You must understand my power...the power of Mannos...and know that you cannot escape the hands of fate..."  
  
He swung a clawed hand toward her, ready to dismember her, to tear her to pieces and eat her. Calixta's hand slid toward her holster and withdrew her gun. Without wasting a second, she pointed it directly at Mannos' eye and fired.  
  
Mannos howled in pain. He flung Calixta against the wall. Her head hit the wall with a resounding crack that was indistinguishable in her mind from the explosion of the building. She saw a painful glow of light and then darkness enveloped her. The last thing she felt was the agony of warped steel, burnt wires, and splinters of bulletproof glass.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Next Episode Preview:  
  
Mackenzie: "Human beings are but the sum of their experiences. But what if your experiences are taken from you? Are you any less a human? Can you ever get back that which cannot be replaced? Or should you merely let it be forgotten? Deep within the human heart lie the answers you search for."  
  
Episode 3: Memories of a Shadow 


	3. Memories of a Shadow

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny  
  
Book 1: New York  
  
Chapter 3: Memories of a Shadow  
  
Authors: OSTOCOM  
  
Email and Website: See our profile  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See Book 0 for complete disclaimer.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Calixta woke up surrounded by ethereal whiteness, with the music of pan flutes drifting around her. (This is what heaven is like?) she thought groggily. She lifted her head slightly and felt a dull throbbing ache. (But why am I so sore?) She rubbed her eyes, and her arm jerked against a cord. A mechanical blip broke through the music. As Calixta opened her eyes again, a sterile hospital room came into focus. She groaned. "Not again!"  
  
"Oh, good, you're awake." Calixta turned her head and noticed Miakoda sitting across from her. Her visitor pushed a button on a small portable music player, and the pan flutes were silenced. "The doctor told me that even though you were in a coma, you could still hear things. I thought some Peruvian music might make you feel better."  
  
Calixta smiled. "Thanks. It reminded me of home." She nestled down into her pillow, and then suddenly bolted upright. "Wait a minute—a coma? How long was I out?"  
  
Miakoda gently pushed Calixta back down onto the bed. "Calm down. It's only been two days. Are you feeling any better?"  
  
"No, I'm not! Two days? I need to get out of here!" She pushed herself into a sitting position and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She winced, gritting her teeth in pain. "Ow..."  
  
"Are you all right?" Miakoda looked at her, concerned.  
  
"I'm fine. Quick, hand me my gun."  
  
Miakoda sighed. "Calixta..."  
  
"What, you think they're just going to let me waltz out of here? Ha! Not until they've drained me of all my blood and all my money. Hand me my gun. They'll never take me alive."  
  
"Calixta, listen to me very carefully," Miakoda said. "One, you're in no condition to leave. Two, we need our computer specialist in good health, so you should rest and recover your strength. Three, there's no reason to make a spectacle of yourself and raise awkward questions. Four...your gun is back at headquarters."  
  
"Oh." Calixta leaned back against her pillow. "In that case, hand me my watch."  
  
Miakoda took Calixta's watch off the dresser. "Why?"  
  
"It has a miniature holographic projector inside it, and a remote data link to my holomodule," she explained. "Push Mode-9, Set-1, Option-4, and you should get a realistic, functioning holographic gun beamed right over."  
  
"Calixta, did you hear a word I said?"  
  
"Yes, I heard that my gun is back at headquarters." Calixta examined her watch and handed it back to Miakoda. "You'll have to do this, because I can't quite see the buttons. Please hurry. Any minute now, this sadistic intern is going to come along and try to give me an injection. When he does, I want you to shoot him in the head."  
  
Miakoda grasped Calixta firmly by the shoulders. "Calixta, think about what you're saying," she ordered. "What would Jesus do in this situation?"  
  
"Jesus would have just died and raised himself three days later, so it's a moot point," Calixta replied. She grimaced. "Besides, I really hate needles."  
  
The door clicked open and a tall, white-coated intern stepped inside. "Good, you're awake," he said brightly. "And how are we feeling today?"  
  
Calixta's eyes widened in terror. "Fine...we're feeling fine!" she assured him. "Not nearly as schizophrenic as we were yesterday. Much, much better. We think you should let us go."  
  
The intern chuckled. "She took quite a hit to the head, didn't she?" he asked Miakoda.  
  
"It was pretty bad," Miakoda admitted, smiling slightly.  
  
"Thanks a lot!" Calixta glared at her. She turned to the intern and smiled as convincingly as she could. "No, really, sir, I'm not schizophrenic. Under your watchful care, any little medical inconveniences associated with my accident have vanished, and I'm feeling energized! Fantastic! Better than ever! Like a completely new woman, but not in the psychotic disorders sense!"  
  
"Mmm-hmm," said the intern noncommittally, tapping a syringe against his hand.  
  
"Hey! Get away from me with that harpoon! I feel fine! Go away! Miakoda, stop him!"  
  
"This won't hurt a bit," the intern insisted.  
  
"Liar! Miakoda! He's a Lucifer Hawk—I just know it! Get away from me, you evil demon sadist! You'll pay for this! Get back! Back!" The intern ignored her and inserted the syringe into her vein. Calixta screamed.  
  
"There now," he said, smiling. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"  
  
Calixta stared at her teammate imploringly. "I thought you were my friend," she whimpered.  
  
Miakoda turned to the intern. "Is she going to be all right?" she whispered.  
  
"Sure," the intern said. "That was just some codeine for the pain. She'll be a lot more comfortable now...and a bit calmer, too."  
  
"How long until she'll be able to leave?"  
  
The intern shrugged. "Possibly as early as tomorrow, assuming she gets enough rest." He looked at Miakoda pointedly.  
  
"Right. I won't be long." The intern nodded and exited the room quietly. Miakoda turned back to Calixta. "I'm going to let you get some rest now," she said.  
  
"That sounds good," Calixta said, looking off into the distance with a faint smile on her face. "You're really nice. That intern, he was a nice person too. Everyone's nice. Really nice. Yeah."  
  
Miakoda looked at her quizzically. "Even the Hawk that put you here, blew up our building, and got away scot-free?" she asked. "I wouldn't exactly call him nice."  
  
Calixta frowned. "Well, no...but I'm sure he's nice deep down. Everyone's nice. This is a very happy place." She smiled. "Very white. White is happy."  
  
"Ahhh..." The light went on in Miakoda's mind. "I guess it didn't take long for the codeine to start working."  
  
"Codeine is very nice," Calixta said, grinning. "Very, very nice."  
  
"I see," Miakoda said. "Well, since you're so happy, I'm going to go back to work, okay?"  
  
"Okay," Calixta said. "Work is happy."  
  
Miakoda smiled reassuringly and slipped out the door. She shook her head. Mackenzie would be glad to know Calixta was all right, but it would still be nice to have a better report. She wasn't feeling as optimistic as the intern. It didn't seem to her that Calixta would be back to normal by tomorrow. (Then again,) Miakoda reminded herself, (this is about as close to normal as Calixta ever is anyway.) The thought disturbed her, so she pushed it gently out of her head as she stepped outside into the sunshine.  
  
------  
  
It was a beautiful Saturday in downtown Manhattan. The sky was blue and the people were out in force, enjoying the mild, slightly wintry weather and scenic attractions on their day off. But Mackenzie Jameson was unable to appreciate any of that. She sat in the remains of her office, ostensibly staring at the latest batch of reports from her officers.  
  
She sighed as she realized she had been reading the same page for the past twenty minutes. (Face it Jameson,) she told herself, (You still can't shake what that girl told you.)  
  
Ramirez...that was her name. Amber Ramirez. She was getting too close to things that were better left alone. Jameson needed to know what she was dealing with. If she was just a girl who had stumbled in during the wrong time, then things could be fixed. But if she was someone with too much knowledge and experience, she could be dangerous...too dangerous. Reaching a decision, she pushed a button on her desk. "Lieutenant Nakai."  
  
"Yes, Chief?" Miakoda's voice sounded over the receiver.  
  
"Did the doctor say when Calixta could come back?"  
  
"Maybe as early as tomorrow."  
  
"Good. Think she'll be up for a little research project?"  
  
"Um..." Miakoda hesitated. "You might want to ask her."  
  
Mackenzie sighed. "All right, I'll do that. Keep me appraised."  
  
"Yes, Chief." With that, Miakoda signed off.  
  
Mackenzie sighed again and leaned back in her chair, wincing as it creaked loudly. The Lucifer Hawk they had fought three days ago had done a number to the building. Her office had received the least amount of damage, and it had been one of the first places to be repaired, but there was still a lot to be done. All the walls needed new paint and the floor on the left side of the room had a huge hole in it, with only a piece of plywood for covering.  
  
She had a hard time trying to decide just exactly how the repairs were to be done. The Lucifer Hawk they had fought had disguised himself as a member of the technical crew they had hired in order to upgrade the holographic modules. This caused a major dilemma when trying to decide whom they could call to effect repairs after the battle.  
  
Finally Adara proposed a solution that everyone could live with, namely hiring a company that her father used frequently and having Calixta do background checks on everyone who came into the building. It wasn't one hundred percent foolproof but it was close enough to make everyone else relax...except for Calixta. Mackenzie felt a little guilty about putting her computer specialist into overtime right out of the hospital. Still, she was confident Calixta could handle any obstacle in front of her.  
  
------  
  
"Ow!" Calixta tripped over a steel beam and fell gracelessly onto the floor of the main lobby. "Why didn't you tell me that was there?"  
  
"I did tell you to watch your step," Miakoda reminded her patiently. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Fine," Calixta grumbled.  
  
"You're sure? Nothing's sprained or broken? Any dizziness or lightheadedness?"  
  
"No," Calixta snapped. "And I don't care if I'm seeing pink giraffes and have five pieces of bone sticking out of my leg; you're taking me back to that hospital over my cold, dead body."  
  
"Hey, Solaris!" Adara waved at her across the room. "Nice move. Are you feeling better?"  
  
"Splendid," Calixta mumbled. "When are we going to get someone to clean this place up?"  
  
"I was just going to talk to you about that," Adara said. "How do you feel about being in charge of the background checks?"  
  
"I'm not sure she should be doing that much work right away," said Miakoda. "The doctor said—"  
  
"The doctor doesn't know anything about it," Calixta interrupted. "I'll be fine." She crossed the room briskly and sat down at the main computer. Her fingers flew over the keyboard and she looked intently at the databases popping up on the screen.  
  
"Look, I just think you should take it easy for a while," Miakoda explained. "You've been through a lot over the past few days, and there's no sense in putting your body through more stress just because—"  
  
"Done!" Calixta announced. She motioned Adara over. "Okay, this should let you access and cross-reference most government records, including the FBI database. Our access password is JRX0018ECC. I've also linked to a few underground criminal networks, so if you get a red X in this field, you'll know there's something shady going on. Make sure you run all their information through to make sure it checks out, and run their references through as well—they should have at least five. Any concerns or technical questions, call me over." She grinned at Miakoda. "Is that taking it easy enough for you, doctor?"  
  
Miakoda and Adara stared at her. Adara's mouth opened and closed a few times, and she finally blurted out, "If it's this easy, why didn't we do this in the first place?"  
  
"Well, we could have, but we just got our access password yesterday." Calixta shook her head. "Stupid bureaucracies."  
  
"So we couldn't have done any of this before yesterday?" Adara asked.  
  
"Well, not legally, no. Of course, in retrospect, we should have just broken the law like a porcelain doll, but how were we supposed to know that?"  
  
"Or we could have waited," Miakoda pointed out.  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Calixta said. "Anyway, we have access now, which allows for nice, simple, mostly legal background checks."  
  
"Well done." Mackenzie's voice rang out behind her, warm and full of authority. "You seem to be feeling better."  
  
"Chief!" Calixta smiled and saluted. "Yes, it's very good to be back."  
  
"I'm sorry to spoil the good feelings, but I have a project for you, if you're up to it."  
  
"Well, as long as it doesn't involve explosions, Hawk fights, late hours, or a high-cholesterol diet, it should be fine, right, doc?" She winked at Miakoda.  
  
"No, no, it's nothing like that," Mackenzie assured her. "I'll tell you about it in my office."  
  
------  
  
Mackenzie shut the door and perched herself on her chair. "I'd offer you a seat, but—" She gestured around the dilapidated office.  
  
Calixta shrugged. "It's all right. What can I do for you?"  
  
"I need a favor. Give me everything you can find on Amber Ramirez—official and...unofficial."  
  
"Understood. You think she's going to be trouble?"  
  
"I think I'd like to know what we're up against. I always like to prepare for the worst. When do you think you'll be ready to start?"  
  
A look of mild annoyance crossed Calixta's face. "I'm ready now. You'll have a report by the end of the day."  
  
"There's no rush," Mackenzie said gently.  
  
"All right. Tomorrow morning, then." She stared defiantly at Mackenzie, as though daring the chief to challenge her.  
  
Mackenzie looked at her computer specialist and understood. "I'll expect it on my desk first thing tomorrow," she said. "Dismissed."  
  
Calixta saluted sharply and withdrew to her workstation across the hall. She turned her computer on and smiled as the blue-green glow lit her office. "It's been too long, old friend," she murmured. "Let's see what we can find..."  
  
Now that she had the access password, it was actually fairly easy to obtain Ramirez's official files. Within minutes, she had everything from the girl's identification number to her college transcripts downloaded and waiting to be perused. The unofficial stuff, though, that was going to take some work. (This is a job for Langley,) she thought irrelevantly, remembering an X-Files episode Miakoda had made her watch. (But since it's just me...)  
  
"All right," Calixta said to herself, cracking her knuckles, "put on something black and sexy and prepare to do some funky hacking."  
  
Her mind slipped into another world, a world of data, binary pathways, shortcuts, and numbers flying by at lightning speed. She heard only the clicking of keys and the frantic whirring of her computer. It could have been seconds or days. She looked at her watch.  
  
"Seven minutes to hack into the CIA database?" Calixta exclaimed. "I must have hit my head harder than I thought." She shook her head and began reading. Her eyes widened as she scrolled through the information. "Interesting..."  
  
Calixta sat transfixed, her mind continuing to absorb facts. She didn't see the sunset, or notice her teammates leave, and her computer continued glowing well into the night.  
  
------  
  
The workroom in the New York Sentinel was strangely quiet. (Of course,) ace reporter Amber Ramirez thought to herself, (I'm not usually here at midnight.) She rubbed the bridge of her nose absently as she took another look at the data she had managed to assemble on her latest project.  
  
She was so involved in her work that she never heard the footsteps come up behind her. "What in the world are you doing here so late?"  
  
She started and whirled her chair around. "Daniels!" she exclaimed, clutching a hand to her chest. Her eyes narrowed and she smacked him in the arm. "Don't do that!"  
  
"Sorry," Tad said sheepishly. "I thought you heard me coming up. And anyway, you didn't answer my question. Why are you still here?"  
  
She gestured to the piles of paperwork that currently littered her normally tidy desk. "I'm working."  
  
"Still? Amber, it's past midnight. Go home, get some sleep."  
  
"Well what are you doing here if it's so late?"  
  
"I just forgot something I needed," he dissembled, looking towards his desk. (I can't tell her I got worried because she wasn't at home,) he thought.  
  
Amber had already returned to her work. "Who knew a simple story about mem- sweep technology could turn into such a big hassle? My only sources won't talk, and every time I find someone who should know something, they don't!" She sighed. "I'm not going to get anywhere on this story."  
  
"Maybe you just need a fresh perspective," Tad suggested as he pulled up a chair. "Let me see what you've got so far."  
  
She pulled up a few folders for him too look at. "See here. I got this name, Mackenzie Jameson, from a reliable source that said she'd been involved in mem-sweep stuff. But when I went to talk to her and her former commanding officer, they both said that she'd been nowhere near anything involving mem-sweep."  
  
Tad blinked his big hazel eyes. "Well, are you sure your source is reliable?"  
  
"I know she is! At least, she was until she conveniently died a few days ago. And I also think it's suspicious that Mackenzie Jameson was involved in a supposed accident that left her with amnesia. She can't remember anything from the time she was seventeen until she woke up from the accident when she was twenty-nine. That's exactly what mem-sweep is supposed to be for, Daniels," the young woman said intently. "I just can't shake the feeling that she was a test subject and doesn't know it. But no one seems to believe me."  
  
The dejected look on her face was hard for Tad to stand. "Don't worry, Amber. I know you'll come up with something. And you have enough for a draft of what Mortenson wanted you to cover, right?"  
  
"Yeah, I've got enough for a draft. I wrote a whole piece from a 'debate about' point-of-view. But I know there's more to this story. And I won't rest until I find the truth."  
  
"Well it's obvious you're not going to get anywhere with this Marshall guy. And you said Mackenzie Jameson is being reluctant too, right?"  
  
"She refuses to even talk about the possibility that she was a mem-sweep test case," Amber agreed.  
  
"So why don't you try getting information from someone else close to her? Maybe someone who's as concerned as you are and would be willing to listen."  
  
Amber's brown eyes lit up with delight. "That's a great idea, Daniels!" She threw her arms around him in an enthusiastic hug. "I've got the names of some of her subordinates. Maybe I can talk to one of them..." She flipped through one of her folders quickly before stopping and pointing to a name on the page. "Adara Davis. She's Jameson's right-hand woman. I can catch her coming off work tomorrow night, and hopefully she can tell me something! Thanks again, Daniels! Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you."  
  
She hugged him again and didn't notice when he stiffened slightly, or the goofy grin on his face when she let him go. She hastily turned back to her desk and organized it quickly. "Okay, I'm off to get some sleep, and you should go home too. Night, Daniels!" she called over her shoulder as she left the office.  
  
Tad sighed as he watched her waltz out of the newsroom. It seemed like no matter what he tried, he couldn't get Amber to even notice that he existed as more than a friend. He shook his head somewhat self-depreciatingly as he headed over to his desk and gathered a few files. Since he was already up, he might as well finish the draft he had been working on earlier. At least one of them would get a good night's sleep tonight.  
  
------  
  
"Blow out the candles, Mackenzie!"  
  
Mackenzie looked over at her best friend and scowled. "I'm not three, you know, Kendra. I'll blow out the damn things on my own." She stuck her tongue out, but proceeded to laugh as Kendra returned the silly gesture.  
  
"Come on, Jameson," someone in the crowd called. "Don't keep everyone hanging! Blow out the candles already!"  
  
Mackenzie took a deep breath and let it out, extinguishing the tiny flickering candles that sat atop the white-frosted cake. Everyone in the room cheered and clapped wildly, and she couldn't keep herself from smiling. In the background, she heard the phone start to ring, but she ignored it, figuring that her father would answer it. She started to cut the cake, laughing and joking with several of her friends who had gathered around her.  
  
The scene played out like a bad movie. She heard the phone drop and turned to see her father staring straight ahead, a glazed look on his face.  
  
"Daddy?" She took a hesitant step forward. "Dad?"  
  
"That was Captain Kingsley. Nick..."  
  
Mackenzie felt the tears start to collect in her eyes. "No, Daddy," she whispered.  
  
He took a shuddering breath and nodded. "Nick's dead, baby. Your brother died."  
  
She felt the world around her shatter...and woke up in her bed, gasping for breath. "Damn it," she whispered to the empty room. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the headboard. If she concentrated, she could almost see Nick's face, the expression locked in eternal exuberance, the same way she had seen him before he left for the last time.  
  
She ran a hand through her sleep-tousled hair, trying to put the dream, the memory, out of her mind. She knew from years of experience that she wasn't likely to get any more sleep that night, so she wrapped herself in a robe and poured herself a glass of water before deciding to check her e-mail. Mackenzie noticed with some surprise an e-mail with a large attachment from Calixta. She opened it.  
  
"Hey Chief," it ran. "Here's what I found about Amber Ramirez. I'll give you my report tomorrow, but here's the more extensive information if you're interested."  
  
Mackenzie smiled slightly. That poor girl was absolutely hell-bent on proving herself for some reason. Still, she was grateful for the distraction. Anything to take her mind away from the memories that couldn't seem to leave her alone.  
  
------  
  
The next day brought gray skies that added to her already sour mood. Deciding on a whim to do something about it, Mackenzie called the office and told Miakoda to tell Adara that she was in charge for the day. Then she made another phone call, to a man that had acted as a father to her since she had awoken as a seventeen-year-old in a twenty nine-year-old's body.  
  
"Damien Marshall, please," she told the young female secretary who answered the phone.  
  
"Captain Marshall is very busy. May I ask who is calling?"  
  
Mackenzie rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to growl at the little twit. "This is Commander Mackenzie Jameson, Petty Officer. Please inform the Captain that I wish to speak with him. I assure you, he is not too busy for me."  
  
"Please hold," the young woman said in a small voice. Mackenzie smiled with some satisfaction. At least she could still put the fear of God into a Petty Officer.  
  
The phone clicked once and a new voice came on the line. "Well, if it isn't my favorite commander. How are you doing, James?" Damien Marshall asked warmly.  
  
"Just fine, sir. Just fine. Listen, I was wondering if I could meet you for lunch today. Say 12:30, Rockefeller Square?"  
  
"Let me check..." He trailed off and she heard the sharp sound of keys clicking in the background. "I'm free this afternoon, so it sounds like a date! But I've got to ask, James, what brought this on so suddenly?"  
  
"Oh nothing really," the dark woman dissembled. "Just feeling a little nostalgic lately and thought I'd look you up. We haven't seen each other in a while."  
  
"Mm-hmm." Marshall sounded unconvinced. "Is it more dreams?" he asked her seriously.  
  
She sighed. "Yeah. Same thing, except this time I remembered...we got the phone call the day of my party, didn't we?"  
  
There was an uncomfortable pause. "Let's meet for lunch, James. We'll talk about it more then. 12:30 at Café Diana's in Rockefeller Square, right?"  
  
"Right. See you then." With a soft click, she set the phone on its receiver. Turning the uneasy portion of their conversation over in her mind, she stared out the window and wondered just what her old friend was going to tell her at lunch.  
  
Four hours passed quickly, and before she knew it, she was sitting in a small booth at the back of Café Diana's. A waitress came up to take her order, and she thought a bit before finally deciding on a glass of lemon tea. She had just placed her order when a tall black-haired man entered the restaurant and came over with a smile. She stood as he approached.  
  
"Hello, Captain."  
  
He smiled fondly and shook his head. "We're off duty, James. You can call me Damien."  
  
She smiled back. "Force of habit, I'm afraid," she replied as they sat down. "How've things been, Damien?"  
  
"Oh, just fine." He smiled at the waitress as she returned with Mackenzie's tea, and placed his own order of coffee and a turkey sandwich. Mackenzie also ordered a sandwich, and the two of them chatted inconsequentially for a while before the food came.  
  
Marshall took a bite of his turkey on rye with a satisfied sigh. "So James, let's talk about what's been bothering you."  
  
Mackenzie frowned. "It's the dreams again. I think I remembered more. We were at our house and I had a few friends over for my birthday. I could hear the phone ringing and my dad came out. He said that Nick had died." She dropped her gaze to her tea. "Can you believe I almost can't remember what he looked like? It's been so long..."  
  
Damien placed a sympathetic hand over hers. "It's all right, James. You know the accident played hell with your memory. It's only expected that some things would be less clear than you want them to be."  
  
The hand that was currently not being held by her former commander clenched. "I don't like it!" she whispered fiercely. "I hate having these...these holes in my memory! I can barely remember what my own brother looks like!" Then she turned with a hurt look toward the older man. "Why didn't you tell me about when he died?"  
  
"You know what the doctors said. It's better if we allow your memories to return on their own. I told you all I thought I could get away with. You're very important to me, Mackenzie Jameson. Almost like the little sister I never had. I didn't want to do anything to hurt you."  
  
Mackenzie broke away from his gaze. "All right, I understand." She took another sip of tea before returning to her sandwich. "But it doesn't mean I have to like it. Or that I'm going to stop searching for answers about my past."  
  
This caused Marshall to break into laughter. "Stubborn as always. I'm definitely beginning to think it's a family trait. Your mother and Nick were like that too."  
  
"I can hardly remember her," she sighed dejectedly. She turned an intense gaze on him and tightened her grip on his hand. "Damien, please...tell me about her."  
  
His eyes hardened. "You know I can't. The doctors said..."  
  
"Damn the doctors! I don't give a fuck about what the doctors said! I want to know! This isn't fair!"  
  
"Keep your voice down," he hissed at her.  
  
She glanced around furtively and saw that they had indeed drawn curious stares. "I'm sorry. But I need to know about her. And about my brother and my past!"  
  
"I can't tell you anything, Commander Jameson. I am under doctor's orders, and I won't defy them just because you want me to."  
  
"Then I don't see that we have much more to say to one another," she said coldly. "Good day, Captain." With those last words she stalked out of the restaurant, not bothering to look back.  
  
"Damn it, James," Marshall growled softly after she was out of earshot. "Don't you realize that some things are better left forgotten? You're playing with fire...I just hope you don't get burnt too badly."  
  
------  
  
Adara had just gotten home from work and finished setting up for her favorite game when the phone rang. She stopped, looked at the phone, looked back to the game room, and sighed. Picking up the phone, she answered, "Adara Davis."  
  
"Um, hi," came a slightly nervous voice over the line. "My name is Amber Ramirez and I'm a reporter with the New York Sentinel. I'm doing a story on mem-sweep technology and I was wondering if I could interview you."  
  
"Interview me?" Adara asked as she frowned at the phone. "Why in the world would you want to interview me about mem-sweep technology?" Then it hit her just who was calling. "Oh. You're that reporter the Chief was talking with."  
  
"By 'Chief,' you mean Commander Jameson, right? I talked to her, but she didn't—I mean she wasn't able to give me much information."  
  
"Well then, I don't see why you think I can help you. The Chief's more up to date on government technology than I am. I'm sorry, but—"  
  
"Wait!" Amber interrupted her. "Please, listen. I think there's something going on that involves Commander Jameson. I don't really want to go into it over the phone. If we could meet somewhere..."  
  
Adara was about to tell the reporter to leave her alone and mind her own business, but something in the young woman's voice made her change her mind. "All right," she found herself saying. "Why don't you come over to my place? We can have a drink and talk about things."  
  
"Thank you! I really appreciate this."  
  
Adara rattled off her address and gave the reporter a few last instructions before she hung up the phone. "And it was looking like such a peaceful night too," she sighed as she gazed at the game room forlornly.  
  
A few hours later found the lieutenant commander ushering her night visitor into the house and serving coffee in the drawing room. Amber seemed awed by the lavish decorations and the sheer size of the small mansion.  
  
"This is amazing," the reporter breathed as she took in the sights.  
  
Adara hid a smile behind her coffee mug. "Thank you, Ms. Ramirez. I'm afraid I'm somewhat of an elitist when it comes to architecture and interior design."  
  
"You really have done a wonderful job. But I guess that's not really why I came here, right?" She set her coffee mug down and turned a serious gaze on the auburn-haired woman. "I wanted to talk to you about Commander Jameson. I think she's been mem-sweeped."  
  
Adara blinked. "Excuse me? You think the Commander's been mem-sweeped? What gave you a ridiculous idea like that? Don't you think we'd notice if she suddenly lost her memory?"  
  
"Not recently," Amber said exasperatedly. "Six years ago. The accident Commander Jameson was involved in on the Victorious...I don't think it was an accident."  
  
Adara's eyes narrowed. "Ms. Ramirez, that accident is well documented by Navy records. I'll admit it's a bit suspicious the way she lost those memories, but it certainly doesn't mean she was mem-sweeped! What possible reason would someone have for using mem-sweep on Commander Jameson, anyway? She was a simple Lieutenant Commander serving on the Victorious."  
  
Amber chewed her bottom lip. "I'll admit that I'm not sure why someone would mem-sweep her," she said hesitantly. "But I know what my instincts tell me, and they say that there's a lot more to Mackenzie Jameson than what the records show. The Victorious is an intelligence ship, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes, it is. But I still don't see what that has to do with the Commander being mem-sweeped."  
  
"Look, I'm just suggesting that maybe things aren't as clear-cut as the Navy records make them out to be. I got Commander Jameson's name from a source I trust. You have more resources than I do, so what could it hurt to do a little checking and make sure everything's on the up and up?"  
  
"Ever heard of a little thing called invasion of privacy?" Adara said sarcastically. She sighed. "Look, I don't know whether I should trust you or not. All you've done is raise questions and speculations that are completely unfounded."  
  
"I can't give you more than that! But I know that Captain Marshall was being less than honest with me when I talked to him. And I also know that Jameson won't disbelieve anything he says because she trusts him. I just think it's a bit suspicious that all the information on her accident is filtered through him in some way."  
  
The mention of Marshall's name caused Adara's eyebrow to rise. "You got that feeling too, hmm?" she asked softly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing. Never mind. I can't promise anything but...I'll try to look into some things. Do you have a number I can reach you at?"  
  
Amber immediately brightened as she flipped open her ever-present notepad and scribbled down a few things. "Thanks a lot, Adara! I can call you Adara, right? Of course you can call me Amber. Trust me, you won't regret this."  
  
The auburn-haired woman sighed as she shut the door behind her guest after ushering her out. "I certainly hope not," she whispered to the empty room. It was time to call Calixta.  
  
------  
  
Calixta was in the middle of brushing up on her black-belt tae kwon do form when the phone rang. She did two handsprings across the room and picked up the phone. "Hello?"  
  
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Adara said.  
  
"Nah," Calixta said. "I was just in the middle of an unsanctioned martial arts practice. Not exactly what the doctor ordered. So what's up?"  
  
Adara sighed, not exactly sure where to start. "I got a phone call from a reporter, Amber Ramirez. She'd been talking to the chief—"  
  
"About the mem-sweep story, right?"  
  
"Right. How did you know?"  
  
"Well, when the Chief had me research her, I took a look at her latest story drafts. Really interesting stuff. Did you know that the first mem- sweeps were conducted in Brazil twenty years ago to help soldiers affected by post-traumatic stress disorder?"  
  
"No, I didn't," Adara said, a little annoyed at the irrelevant information. "But anyway—"  
  
"Yeah," Calixta interrupted. "And no wonder they had it, too, what with all the uprisings and terrorist attacks. Basically the soldiers had to enforce a military state and attack dissenting civilians. Pretty brutal. I could see how you'd want to forget that. And of course the military ate the mem- sweep idea up because it made the soldiers easier to control. Of course, this is where a lot of the debate is coming in—"  
  
"Calixta, I don't give a damn about the debates. The point is, Amber Ramirez thinks the chief was a test subject."  
  
"Ahh...so that's the missing link." Calixta paused reflectively, then shrugged. "Well, if she says so, it's probably true."  
  
"Am I the only one around here who needs proof before accepting these ridiculous theories?" Adara exclaimed.  
  
"No, no, no," Calixta assured her. "It's just that—the girl has razor-sharp instincts. She...has a way of knowing things. It's uncanny."  
  
"You have a lot of faith in her, considering she's a total stranger."  
  
"Well, obviously you don't completely distrust her either, or you wouldn't have called me." Calixta sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Look, if you promise not to tell anyone, I'll tell you why I believe her."  
  
Adara leaned back on her leather sofa, curious in spite of herself. "I'm all ears."  
  
"And no mouth, right? Fine. It has to do with Tico Hernandez Garza."  
  
The socialite flipped through her mental catalogue of names. It sounded familiar, but... "Who...?" she murmured.  
  
"The Peruvian president about five years ago."  
  
"Oh, right." It clicked now. "The one who was assassinated by terrorists, right?"  
  
"That's the story up here, anyway. But Ramirez wrote an editorial about two years ago indicting the CIA for his death and advising against further US interference in the Latin American Coalition."  
  
"That just proves she's a political power broker and a conspiracy theorist," Adara said tartly. "It probably was terrorists."  
  
"No, it wasn't," Calixta insisted. "I lived in Lima at the time, and the thing about living in a war zone is that you get to know your friendly neighborhood terrorists: what they will do, what they won't do, and why. So everyone down there knew that it wasn't terrorists—at least, not our terrorists."  
  
"But that doesn't mean it was the CIA, or that Ramirez had any special knowledge of what happened," Adara argued.  
  
"That isn't conclusive, no," Calixta agreed. "But then when the polls pulled out Pablo Romero Muñoz as Tico's successor, and when he was so eager to work with American businesses at the expense of Peru's indigenous economic development...well, that indicated a few things. And then there are the CIA records themselves."  
  
"What?" The word fell with a dull thud. "Don't tell me you hacked into the CIA's computers."  
  
"Well, I prefer to call it, um..." The computer specialist searched for a suitable euphemism. "I guess there's no way of getting around that—which is why you can't tell anyone. Anyway, Ramirez has a CIA file as long as your arm, dating back to that article. If she keeps going at this rate, they're going to have to either recruit her or kill her."  
  
Adara shuddered slightly. "Well, despite her brilliant record, the fact remains that she doesn't have any evidence about the Chief one way or another." She paused. "Which is where you come in."  
  
------  
  
Calixta stared, bleary-eyed, at her computer. (I can't believe I'm doing this again,) she thought. (Why can't I just say no? No, I won't hack into the CIA database. No, I won't risk my job by illegally accessing classified Navy files. No, I won't pry into things that aren't any of my business.)  
  
ACCESS DENIED.  
  
The words flashed prohibitively in red on the screen. "And furthermore," Calixta wondered aloud, "why can't I just take no for an answer?"  
  
She stretched out her fingers and began exploring the network's back roads. In that moment, she understood. (I can't say no, because I want to understand,) she realized. (I have to know, and I understand that other people have to know, too. Seek, and you will find.)  
  
But there wasn't anything there.  
  
Calixta blinked and looked again. Where the file should have been, there was a black empty space. (Someone deleted it. But if it was recent enough...)  
  
Calixta plunged into the hidden depths of the database, her eyes searching for the slightest glimmer. She would find what she was looking for. She had no intention of coming up empty-handed.  
  
------  
  
Darkness had fallen without Mackenzie noticing. She sat at the bar in her apartment nursing a neat scotch and thinking about the words that had passed between her and Damien Marshall. Part of her felt remorseful for her treatment of her superior officer. The rest of her was really too drunk and pissed off to care. She couldn't believe the nerve of Damien. After all they'd been through, the fact that he could still refuse to tell her about her past really hurt.  
  
Downing the rest of her drink in one swallow, she set the glass heavily on the bar. That was the fourth or fifth such drink she'd had. And since she wasn't one for heavy drinking, she decided that it would also be the last. She took another look around the large, empty apartment and decided that she would try to get some rest. Sitting around and being depressed just wasn't her style, and besides, she had work to do tomorrow. ECC wasn't going to run itself.  
  
She slept fitfully. In her mind's eye, she saw the faces of everyone she had known, one after the other. The images started to blur together until she couldn't recognize any of the faces she saw. She cried out in her sleep.  
  
["Take the shot."  
  
"I'll take the shot when I deem it appropriate, not when you order me to. Just a little closer..."  
  
"Who's there?" Mackenzie asked the surrounding darkness. Was this a dream?  
  
Suddenly, a face popped out of the darkness. Mackenzie stifled a scream and jumped back as she saw the pale face and sightless eyes. The body dropped heavily to the floor as a feminine laugh echoed in the empty space.  
  
The darkness started to dissipate and she could make out vague shapes surrounding her. A rustling noise sounded in the distance, coming closer and closer until it was almost on top of her.  
  
A heavy hand fell on her shoulder, startling her and making her whirl around. A black and green face stared back at her. "You still with us?"  
  
"What—"  
  
"Take the damn shot!"  
  
She was breathing heavily as she looked down on the crowd of people below her. No one knew just how close she was. She was the best. And she was going to...  
  
Her attention was distracted as a brown and white Saker Falcon flew overhead.  
  
She looked up into a barely recognizable face. The edges were blurred and the features softened almost to the point that she could not distinguish anything. A soft voice was humming a half-remembered tune.  
  
"That's because she's the best. She's got a reputation to live up to, remember?"  
  
(That's the whole damn problem, isn't it?) she thought bitterly. (I don't remember.)  
  
"Mackenzie? Hey, sis! You coming or not?"  
  
"Nick?" she asked as she turned her head. She saw a young boy of fourteen gesturing to her from a bright field of grass.  
  
"Come on! Dad's going to beat us there!"  
  
"Nick!" She ran toward him, but as she watched, something tore into him from the side, splattering blood over the peaceful scene. His body fell to the ground. Mackenzie turned to see a shady figure holding a gun that was leveled at where her brother had been standing.  
  
"Why?" she asked brokenly.  
  
"I'm the best," a woman's voice answered.  
  
"I don't understand..."]  
  
Mackenzie woke up and found her pillow drenched in tears. She felt like a little girl with her mind caught in a nightmare, and no one was around to tell her that it was only a dream. And even if there had been, she wasn't sure she would have believed them.  
  
------  
  
"Well, here's the information you're looking for." Calixta threw a sealed envelope onto Adara's kitchen counter.  
  
Adara nodded and handed Calixta a cup of coffee. "Good. Amber should be here in a few minutes. The traffic isn't usually too bad at this hour of the morning." She leaned forward. "Is the Chief on the list?"  
  
"I have no idea," Calixta said. "I didn't look at it." At Adara's look of surprise, she explained, "I figure that if someone finds out, they'll only need a little torturing before they realize I haven't seen it."  
  
"Torture is a little extreme," Adara pointed out. "They'll probably just inject you with sodium pentathol."  
  
Calixta shuddered. "That's even worse."  
  
The doorbell rang, and Adara left to answer the door. When she came back, the short Hispanic woman was with her. Adara offered her a drink, and Amber accepted a cup of coffee.  
  
"Thank you so much for helping me," Amber said volubly. "I really appreciate it, um—" She faltered a little when she noticed the computer specialist.  
  
"Calixta. Computer specialist and expert stable cleaner."  
  
"I see." Amber looked less than confident. Well, Calixta couldn't blame her. It wasn't as though she had offered a promising first impression.  
  
"Calixta got the list of mem-sweep test subjects," Adara explained, gesturing to the envelope on the counter.  
  
"A partial list," Calixta corrected. "Someone had deleted the file a few days ago, but I was able to restore about 75 percent of it."  
  
Amber tore open the envelope. Her eyes skimmed over the list of names. "She's not on here," she said dully.  
  
"Well, that's good news, right?" Adara said hopefully.  
  
"Not really, because she could still be in the 25 percent," Calixta said. "We don't know anything."  
  
Without warning, Amber banged her fist on the table next to her so hard that the mugs sitting on it shook. "Damn it! I—I just wanted to know!" Anger flared in her eyes for a moment before she schooled her face back into a semblance of calm and smiled apologetically at the other women. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me..."  
  
"Well, you have a list of sources now," Adara said sensibly. "And besides, you still have the source you got the Chief's name from, right?"  
  
"Well, no," Amber said. "She's dead now. She probably died while I was talking to her."  
  
"Ah." Something clicked in Calixta's mind. "Admiral Henderson, I take it?"  
  
Amber turned abruptly and stared at her. The redhead was obviously sharper than she looked. "That's right, but how—"  
  
"I keep an eye on the obituaries," Calixta explained. Amber could sense there was more to it than that, but she didn't say anything. "I wondered about her death...heart failure, I think they said."  
  
"The timing was very convenient," Amber said bitterly. "But I can't prove anything." She picked up the envelope and tucked it into her purse. "I'm sorry. I meant to help you—I wanted to help you..."  
  
"You did your best," Adara assured her. "And now we know to keep our eyes open, so we will."  
  
A new fire blazed in Amber's eyes. "So will I," she said.  
  
As she left the kitchen, she felt someone catch her by the shoulder. She turned and saw Calixta standing next to her. "Look," she said. "I like you. And I know you want to understand what's going on. But I don't think you know what you're up against."  
  
Amber's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to warn me away?"  
  
"No, it's just—cuidate, Ramirez."  
  
Be careful. The Spanish advice took Amber by surprise, but she remained firm. "I'm going to figure this out," she insisted. She made her exit and shut the door behind her before Calixta could say another word.  
  
Calixta sighed. "Then God help you."  
  
------  
  
Amber looked up at the tall apartment building with a little bit of nervousness. Mackenzie Jameson definitely had the ability to intimidate her. But, the young reporter vowed, this was the last time she was going to stick her neck out for the older woman. Gathering her wits about her, she strode up confidently to the front door.  
  
"Good evening, madam," the stocky doorman said to her, tipping his hat over a head of jet-black hair. His dark eyes glittered dangerously.  
  
Warning bells went off in Amber's mind. This was the exact same feeling she had gotten right before the explosion last week. She clutched her necklace and afforded him a nervous smile. "I'm here to see Mackenzie Jameson."  
  
The man's eyes narrowed. "Is she expecting you?"  
  
"We have a standing appointment," Amber replied evenly.  
  
"By all means then, go on in, and I hope you have a pleasant day." He bowed as he held open the door for her.  
  
His last sentence having confirmed her suspicions, Amber entered and headed up the stairs with one last nervous glance in his direction. (I've got to warn Commander Jameson,) she thought to herself.  
  
She reached Jameson's third floor apartment and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again and spent a nervous few minutes hoping that Mackenzie was actually home. Just as she was about to leave, the door opened and the apartment's owner stood on the other side, scowling. "What are you doing here, Ms. Ramirez?"  
  
Swallowing her nervousness, Amber put on a cheerful smile. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"  
  
The scowl deepened as Mackenzie stepped aside, allowing the younger woman to enter the apartment. Once the door was closed, Amber dropped the cheerful façade and said intently, "I think your doorman might be a bad guy. What is it you call them? Hawks? He's got the same feeling as that guy from last week, right before the explosion."  
  
Mackenzie blinked. "You think my doorman is a Lucifer Hawk? And just how much do you know, anyway?"  
  
Before she could answer, they were interrupted by the door being blasted inward. Mackenzie cursed as she beheld the glowing red eyes set in a partially human face that was now transforming into something otherworldly. The ECC's commander shoved her guest out of the way as the Hawk's long arm shot forward. It missed its target, but slammed into a cabinet, breaking dishes and scattering other small knickknacks.  
  
Mackenzie raced towards her bedroom, and her gun, leaving Amber alone with the Lucifer Hawk. The reporter screamed as it turned its attention to her and grabbed her by the throat in one of its overly large, clawed hands. She felt it squeeze, and she brought her hands up to try to force him to let go. She could feel her lungs burning with the need for air, and the pressure on her throat was becoming almost unbearable. Just as she thought she might pass out, a red streak shot past her head and collided with the monster's arm, causing it to howl in pain and release its hold. Amber sank to the floor, taking in a huge lungful of air as she tried to recover.  
  
"That was a mistake, human," the Lucifer Hawk said, its voice dripping with malice as it held its injured arm.  
  
"It's you," Jameson breathed. "You're the same Hawk that blew up our office!" She gritted her teeth in anger. "Damn it! Do you have any idea how much damage you caused?"  
  
Amber looked at the other woman askance. This thing was here to kill them, and she was worried about the amount of property damage?  
  
"Puny human. You have no idea what you face. I am Isheth Mannos do Kauas! I will be the one to defeat you and open the gates to Nemesis!"  
  
Then he looked at her with his deep red eyes, and Mackenzie let out a stifled shout as she felt the headache from earlier coming back with a vengeance. "Face your deepest fear, Mackenzie Jameson! Face the truth you have run from for so long."  
  
It felt like her mind was shattering. A thousand thoughts, memories, and dreams intersected at one point in time. All of them were equally strong and all were equally demanding her attention. Blackness was closing in on her vision, and she knew that it would soon be too late for either her or Amber.  
  
"Call them," she managed to gasp out through the pain. She threw something at the young reporter weakly; a small communication device. Then the pain overtook her and she collapsed onto the floor.  
  
"Hello? Hello! Is anyone answering this thing?" Amber pushed buttons frantically as she tried to get the device to work.  
  
"Get away from that!" Mannos roared. He tried to grab her in one of his claws, but she managed to dodge, and he needed all his energy to keep Mackenzie in the debilitating state he had her in now. He growled as tried to focus more effort on the spell he was casting.  
  
"If anyone's listening, you have to get to Commander Jameson's apartment now! We're being attacked..." She was cut off as Mannos managed to hit her this time, smacking the communicator out of her hand and breaking a few bones in the process. Amber clutched her injured hand and snarled.  
  
"That's my writing hand, damn it!" She saw Mackenzie's discarded gun lying a few feet from her, and wondered if there was any way she could get it before the monster could notice and kill her for trying. Things were definitely not looking good.  
  
(Think, Ramirez, think!) She grabbed wildly and felt something smooth brush against her hand. Grabbing it, she winced as she felt the sharp edge of a broken piece of glass cut into her palm. She tightened her grip on it, however, and plunged it directly into the monster's arm.  
  
Mannos cried out in surprise and looked down, allowing Amber just enough time to scramble for the gun. "Insufferable human!" he roared as he tore the glass from his arm. The wound sealed itself up quickly. He started towards the young reporter, who had backed into a wall and leveled the gun at him.  
  
"Stay back!"  
  
He snorted in amusement. "You think that weapon will hurt me?"  
  
He advanced towards her and she tightened her good hand on the gun, gasping as she felt the cold metal cut into the already painful wound on her palm. Without thinking, she fired a shot, and her eyes widened as she saw the round slam into his shoulder, spraying aquamarine blood a short distance.  
  
He hardly paused. Amber started to shake as she realized that she was probably about to die. He advanced again, and she fired another round. This time he growled and shot out his hand, grasping her around the throat once more. "No more playing, human. This time I'll snap your neck like the bug you are."  
  
She felt his grip tighten, and then heard a cacophony of sound. She wondered if that was what it sounded like when you died. Then she felt his grip loosen, and she sucked in a grateful breath of air. As her eyes refocused, she could see that he had turned to face three new women who had entered the battle.  
  
"First you damage our headquarters, and now you have the nerve to attack our commander? You're going down, ugly," Adara stated as she faced him down.  
  
"A bit dramatic, but you can't argue with the sentiment," Calixta agreed.  
  
The three spread out and Miakoda cast a quick spell, forming a shield that served to push the Hawk in her teammates' direction. Adara followed up with a small burst of flame, and Calixta took her time before aiming and firing three simultaneous rounds into the Hawk's head. Mannos roared in anger and confusion. Finally realizing that he would not win this battle, he growled and teleported away to heal himself.  
  
"Are you all right?" Miakoda asked as she knelt next to Amber.  
  
"Mostly," the young woman croaked as she rubbed her sore throat. "Right hand's broken, and I've got a nasty cut on the left one, but other than that, I think I'll be okay."  
  
Miakoda nodded sympathetically and pulled out the emergency medical kit they had brought. "We'll fix you right up," she assured Amber as she started to work. "Don't worry about a thing."  
  
Meanwhile, Adara and Calixta were checking on Mackenzie. Calixta sighed as she ran a portable scanner over her commander. "Well, this thing isn't exactly set up for a medical scan, but it looks like she's mostly okay."  
  
Adara nodded. "All right. Let's get the paramedics in here and get them both to a hospital. We got pretty lucky this time."  
  
To that, Calixta could only nod in agreement.  
  
------ Calixta was getting awfully sick of seeing the inside of a hospital room. (At least this time I'm not the patient,) she thought to herself. She, Adara, Miakoda, and Amber Ramirez were gathered around the small hospital bed where Mackenzie was recovering from her ordeal.  
  
"So when do you think they'll let you out of here, Commander?" Adara asked.  
  
"I'm just being kept overnight for observation," Mackenzie assured the lieutenant commander. "I'll be taking tomorrow off, so you'll be in charge, but I'll be back the day after that."  
  
Adara saluted smartly and grinned. "I'll be sure to keep these two in line for the day," she said, indicating Miakoda and Calixta. Both of them shot her mock glares.  
  
"Actually, I'm hoping you'll be able to keep these three in line," Mackenzie replied as she looked in Amber's direction.  
  
"Me?" the reporter squeaked.  
  
"If you think you're up for it, I'd like you to become a member of our team. The ECC could use your skills and your instincts in the fight against the Lucifer Hawks."  
  
Amber looked quickly at Mackenzie, wondering just how much the ECC's chief knew about where her so-called "instincts" came from. (Not that I have anything to be afraid of if they know...Adara throws fireballs and Miakoda casts spells, so it's not as though they're exactly what I'd call normal,) she thought. She glanced around at the encouraging faces that filled the room. These women were all people she could definitely see herself liking...although the redheaded crazy girl was going to take some getting used to. And she found that she would really like to get to know them better. Add that to the fact that she'd be helping to save the world, and there was really only one reply she could come up with. "Sure."  
  
The others smiled and welcomed her to the team one by one. When it came back to Mackenzie, she shook the younger woman's hand gently and said, "Welcome to Equine Cleanup and Control. Adara and Calixta will start your training first thing tomorrow morning." She paused to get everyone's attention. "I want you all to be alert. That Category One we dealt with managed to escape, and he may turn up again."  
  
"Someone should stay here, then," Amber suggested. "After all, he seems to be targeting you. Although I'm not sure what the connection between the Hawks, the government, and mem-sweep technology is..."  
  
Jameson's eyes hardened. "We have no evidence that he was involved in anything having to do with mem-sweep. He was probably targeting me because I am the ECC's commander. Taking me out would be quite a victory for the enemy."  
  
Adara, Amber, and Calixta exchanged an unreadable look. Finally, Adara spoke up. "Commander...I know it's odd, but I think Amber's theories might bear some investigation. I mean you can't be one hundred percent sure about Captain Marshall, right? Some of the things he said were really suspicious."  
  
"The subject is closed," Mackenzie replied in a tone that brooked no argument. The others fell silent.  
  
"I guess we really should be getting back to the office," Calixta said finally, breaking the tension. "We'll keep an eye out for everything while you're gone, Chief."  
  
"Thank you, Lieutenant. Good night, everyone."  
  
Miakoda lagged behind as the other filed silently out of the room. "James, are you sure you're okay with all of this?" she asked seriously.  
  
Mackenzie cracked a small smile. "It's been a while since you've called me that, Willow."  
  
Miakoda allowed herself a small smile. "And it's been a while since anyone has called me Willow. I almost miss those days," she said with a hint of nostalgia. "But you're also avoiding the question."  
  
Mackenzie broke her subordinate's gaze and stared out the small hospital room's window. "I don't want to believe her. I've known Damien Marshall for a long time, Willow. Longer than I've know even you, and you're one of my oldest friends. If I start to doubt him...where will it end?" She looked at Miakoda intently. "The few memories I have are so precious to me. What will I do if those are taken away? How will I know what's real?"  
  
Miakoda was silent for a long moment. Finally, she chewed her lip slightly and said, "I guess...I think everyone needs something or someone to believe in. For me, it's Jesus Christ and the saving power of the cross. But for you, it's your faith in order and the chain of command. But James, please remember that people are not infallible, and the chain of command is only as good as the people who make up that chain."  
  
"I'll remember. But I know Damien Marshall. He's been like a brother to me, Willow. There's a bond there that I don't want to break over a few pieces of supposition. The simple truth of the matter is that whatever Amber and Adara say, they have no real proof. No facts to back up their claims." Mackenzie's eyes narrowed. "But I will get answers the next time we speak. Or he'll have to risk breaking the bond of trust we've worked so hard to build."  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Next Episode Preview:  
  
Amber: All my life, I have watched. Reported. And now I find myself on the front lines of a fight I don't completely understand. I'm trying to find a balance between my old life and my new one, but it isn't easy. And keeping the ECC a secret without lying? Also tough. Sure, my new job is stressful sometimes, but that's nothing a healthy dose of homemade Mexican food won't fix!  
  
Next Episode: Veritas 


	4. Veritas

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny  
  
Book 1: New York  
  
Chapter 4: Veritas  
  
Authors: OSTOCOM  
  
E-mail and Website: See our profile  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See the Book 0 for complete disclaimer.  
  
A/N: We will be moving to a biweekly posting schedule for the time being. We'll write another note if and when we move back to weekly postings.  
  
---------------------------------------------  
  
The sky was overcast as Amber Ramirez pulled up to the curb in her 2025 Ford Hydronic. She patted the hood of her car affectionately. It may have been a few years old, and its hydrogen cells might not have been the most efficient ones on the planet, but it got her where she needed to go. The radio had said there wasn't much chance of rain, but Amber still hurried to put her money in the parking meter and get inside. She rushed under the sign that identified the place as the 'Riverwood Apartments' and strode over to the elevator.  
  
"Twenty-second floor, please," she said once inside, and the voice- sensitive system flashed a large number 22 up on the screen on the left- hand wall. The metal doors slid shut, and Amber felt the familiar sensation of the ground falling away beneath her.  
  
"We have now arrived at your destination. Have a pleasant day," the computerized voice said as the doors slid open again. Amber winced. She knew that some newer, nicer buildings, even the one she lived in, had a more human sounding system, and the more expensive places even had live operators. She'd tried again and again to get her parents to move into a nicer place, but her mother was very attached to the apartment that had been their home since the Ramirez family came to New York from Mexico in 2008.  
  
Everything was much the same as it had been when she lived with her family. The hall carpets were ragged and fading, the molding along the floor was cracked, but the building was still scrupulously clean, as if having everything freshly scrubbed would make up for the general dinginess of the place.  
  
Amber knocked on the door of apartment 22-B-17 a couple of times before trying the knob and finding the door unlocked. Her mother, as usual, had expected her.  
  
"Good morning, Mami!" Amber called as she tossed her purse on the couch and wandered over to the kitchen to see what was producing such delicious smells.  
  
"Morning, Amber," Julia Ramirez said, looking up from a skillet filled with eggs, peppers, and other vegetables. She was dishing the concoction out onto plates, and pressed one into Amber's hands. "Eat something, for heaven's sake. You're nothing but skin and bones!"  
  
"Amber!!"  
  
"Hey, Sis!"  
  
Two excited twelve-year-olds, a boy and a girl, appeared from their respective bedrooms and burst into the kitchen. They each grabbed plates from off the counter and plunked down at the table set up midway between the kitchen and the living room, pulling Amber after them.  
  
"Hey, it's my favorite set of twins," Amber said. She gave her little sister Benita a quick hug and ruffled Julio's hair. "You two been keeping out of trouble?"  
  
"Well, kind of..." Julio said, avoiding his older sister's gaze.  
  
"Julio! You have been getting in trouble! What happened?" Amber demanded. Their mother muttered something angrily in Spanish and went back to serving breakfast.  
  
"It was just detention...and it was just once," he explained. This was why he had never liked it when Amber had been left to baby-sit. She always seemed to know when he was lying.  
  
"He got caught copying someone else's homework," Benita said smugly. Julio glared at his twin.  
  
"He's never going to get into college like Amber did if he keeps this up," a voice from behind the morning newspaper that was propped up at the end of the table said gruffly. Julio looked down at his hands, shamefaced, and Amber pushed the newspaper aside so she could plant a kiss on her father's cheek.  
  
"Good morning to you too, Papa," she said. He simply grunted in response, but Amber could see the beginnings of a smile on his face. While the twins wolfed down their breakfast, Amber went back into the kitchen to talk to her mother.  
  
"Your new job is going well?" Julia asked. "I still don't see why you had to leave that newspaper you were working at. You seemed to be doing so well."  
  
"It's going great, Mami. Being the public relations officer for the ECC pays a lot better than my old job, and I can still write freelance on the side. It's not like I'm giving up my dream or something." Amber laughed, but it wasn't quite convincing enough for her mother to believe her. In truth, in the two weeks since joining the ECC, Amber hadn't had time to think about anything but training and learning the ropes. She had the nagging suspicion that writing wasn't going to fit into her new life, and it hurt.  
  
"I hope you didn't just take it for the money," Julia said. She began to put away her kitchen supplies. Amber, out of habit and respect, helped. "You know that we're proud of you no matter how much money you make."  
  
"Oh no, that's not all of it...I feel like I'm really doing something good, being a public servant and all that! And besides, the girls I work with at the office are great. I can already tell that they're going to be wonderful friends." Amber smiled. Her voice had more of a ring of authenticity this time, and her mother smiled back. Amber glanced over at her father and lowered her voice. "Did you ever get Papa to go in and have those tests?" She asked.  
  
"He went to the doctor last Friday," Julia answered. She frowned slightly and turned her back to Amber so she could put away some spices.  
  
"And?" Amber prompted.  
  
"Everything is fine, Amber. Don't worry about it," Julia said. Amber's hand went to the pink crystal on a silver chain that hung around her neck. It was icy cold to the touch. She frowned and gently put her hand on her mother's plump arm.  
  
"You're not telling me the truth, Mami," she said. Julia hesitated a little before leaning back on the counter and looking her oldest daughter in the eye.  
  
"The doctor said they might have found something. Some...growth or...I don't know what. I really didn't understand much of what they were saying. He's supposed to go back next week. They said they'd tell us more then."  
  
"I'll go with you, if you want," Amber offered. "Maybe I can help you make sense out of things."  
  
"I wouldn't want you to take time off of work," Julia started to say.  
  
"Oh, Mami! You know I would do that for you guys in a second," Amber told her.  
  
"And," Julia continued, "I don't want your father to know that I told you. He hasn't let me call Tomas or Marcus yet, either." Amber's two older brothers both lived out of state and ran an air-conditioning repair business together.  
  
"Fine, then, you do what you think is best," Amber said. "I'm just glad to know what's going on with my family. I worry about you guys sometimes."  
  
"We take care of ourselves," Julia said proudly. "But you! Hija, you look like you haven't eaten for a week! And your nice breakfast is getting cold!" Amber looked over at the plate that had gone practically untouched while she and her mother had been talking. Without thinking, she put her hands on her hips. She had lost a bit of weight since joining the ECC. Running around the city chasing Lucifer Hawks wasn't exactly a sedentary occupation.  
  
"It's good, Mami," she said, and she stuffed a bite into her mouth. "What did you put in here? It tastes different, sweet somehow." She drew her brows together, trying to discover what was giving her mother's scrambled egg concoction its mildly sweet flavor. It was a game the two Ramirez women had played for as long as Amber had known how to cook.  
  
"Give up?" Julia asked. Amber nodded. "Coconut milk! That's what it is. Just a couple of tablespoonfuls are all you need."  
  
"Interesting...I never would have thought of that," Amber mused. Julia began to dish the leftovers into a plastic dish.  
  
"Do you want to take some to work with you?" she asked.  
  
"No, no, that's okay. I'm not sure how the girls would feel about experimental cooking," Amber said.  
  
"Well, you just have them come over here some time, and I'll fix them some good old fashioned Mexican food," Julia said.  
  
"I will, Mami. You just tell me when," Amber said. The thought of introducing her teammates to her family was a little scary, but she knew her mother would pester her about it until the end of time if she didn't agree. Her family didn't have Adara's money, Calixta's technological sophistication, or Miakoda's exoticness. They were just normal, everyday people. Amber could only hope the two groups—her new friends and her family—would mix well.  
  
"How about tomorrow?" her mother suggested. Amber almost choked. (If anyone can throw together a feast for ten people on a day's notice, it's my mom,) she thought ruefully to herself.  
  
"Isn't that a little...short notice?" Amber asked. Her mother gave her a penetrating look, and Amber couldn't say anything but, "I'll ask them and let you know, Mami. Just go a little easy on the chile, ok? Not all of them are exactly used to it."  
  
"You think I don't know how to cook for different groups of people?" Julia said, taking mock offense at the suggestion. "You just worry about getting yourself to work on time, young lady, and leave the rest to me."  
  
"Sorry, sorry!" Amber apologized, then yelled into the other room, "Hey! Anyone who's ready in the next five minutes just might get a ride to school from me!" At this announcement, there was the sound of the scuffling of shoes as the daily fight for the bathroom suddenly took on a new importance.  
  
As Amber and her younger siblings walked out the door, Amber kissed her mother on the cheek.  
  
"I'll get back to you about tomorrow, Mami," she promised, then turned to Julio and Benita. "Come on, rugrats. Papa's going to kill us all if you two are late to school." The three of them rushed out the door and down the hallway with amazing speed.  
  
------  
  
"...and so, since the United States shares both a hemisphere and a border with the Latin American Coalition, it is imperative that friendly relationships continue to exist between the two nations. The United States should offer aid in a spirit of comradeship, not condescension, and..." Amber looked up from her computer and stopped typing. She had been whispering to herself as she wrote, testing out the words to see how they sounded.  
  
"Looks interesting," Mackenzie said, gesturing at the article Amber was attempting to write.  
  
"Commander Jameson!" Amber said, hastily bringing up a screen that had more to do with work and less with the diplomatic relationship between the United States and the Latin American Coalition. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be using my ECC office hours to work on... you know...personal stuff."  
  
"It's all right, Amber," Mackenzie assured her. "Things are pretty quiet here today, and if your work here the past couple of weeks is any indication, you've already got all of your reports filed away." Amber beamed at her superior's praise. Being the new girl was always tough, as she'd learned from a couple of years spent jumping from job to job at various New York newspapers and magazines. Her usual policy was to follow the rules scrupulously, not get in anyone's way, and hope that no one ever had any reason to complain. So far, this had worked quite nicely at the ECC.  
  
"Thank you, Commander Jameson," Amber said, and brought her article back up onto the screen. "I'm hoping I might sell this sometime next week if I can ever get it finished. There's a bill on the floor of the senate right now that would attach certain stipulations to the United States' aid to the LAC, and I think that..." The younger woman brought herself up short and considered the possibility that Mackenzie might not be as interested as she was in the subject. However, when she looked at her commanding officer's face, she was pleasantly surprised at what she saw there. Interest.  
  
"It's a hot topic right now," Mackenzie agreed. "I'm glad to see you're so interested in current events."  
  
"You can take a reporter out of the newsroom," Adara joked as she walked by.  
  
"But you can't take the newsroom out of the reporter," Amber finished. She flashed a bright smile at Adara. It had only been two weeks, but Amber already felt a certain amount of kinship with the ECC's second-in-command.  
  
"Good luck with that, Ensign Ramirez," Mackenzie said before disappearing into her office.  
  
"Thanks!" Amber called, and went back to her article. The tangy smell of Adara's citrus scented candle wafted over the room, and Amber breathed in deeply. Adara always had such delicious smelling things on her desk!  
  
The smell reminded Amber that she was hungry, which, in turn, reminded her that she had a lunch date to keep. She looked at her watch, saw that she only had fifteen minutes to be at the restaurant, and bolted out the door.  
  
"It's my lunch hour now! I'll be back at 1:30!" she called as she ran through the lobby. "If the apocalypse comes, beep me!"  
  
"It's a guy. It has to be a guy," Miakoda murmured as the door slammed shut behind the ECC's newest member.  
  
------  
  
Miakoda's intuition was dead on. Fifteen minutes later, Amber arrived at a café in downtown New York. She caught sight of Tad Daniels' sandy blond hair and smiling face easily. He had secured them a table outside under the awning and was waving her over.  
  
"So are you surviving over at the 'Sentinel' without me?" Amber asked as she sat down. Daniels handed her a menu.  
  
"I'm positively inconsolable. It's just not as fun on the newsroom floor without you around."  
  
He smiled disarmingly, and out of habit, Amber's hand went to the crystal around her neck. It was still warm. Amber blinked in surprise and smiled a little shyly as she looked at the menu.  
  
"I just don't get it, Amber," Daniels continued. "I mean, you were starting to get some really good stories. You know, catch the editor's eye. And then you up and move to... to the ECC, of all places!"  
  
Amber sighed, and launched into her explanation for the second time that day.  
  
"Public relations is kind of like what I was doing..." she started to say.  
  
"Except for now you're the one trying to put the spin on events rather than the one trying to cut through it," Tad said, wagging an admonishing finger at her.  
  
"Are you trying to say you think I sold out?" Amber asked playfully.  
  
"Traitor," Daniels grumbled, still smiling. "I think you're lying, though." That got Amber's attention.  
  
"You think I'm what?" she demanded.  
  
"Hey! No harm meant! I just think it's kind of strange that we did all of this research and came up with the name Mackenzie Jameson, and then BAM! You're working for the woman. I think you're trying to get the inside scoop."  
  
Amber's shoulders relaxed a little.  
  
"I'm right, aren't I? That is why you joined Equine Cleanup and Control, right? So, any inside information you'd care to share?" Daniels asked.  
  
"Well..." Amber searched for a way to answer without completely butchering the truth. "There were some interesting developments. If I can let you know anything without losing my job, I will. Promise." This seemed to satisfy Daniels, and he leaned back in his chair and tossed his menu on the table.  
  
"I just hope you get your big scoop soon so you can come back to the office. I miss all those leftovers you used to bring to work from your mom's dinners!"  
  
"And some of it was me too! Mami's not the only one in my family who can cook!" Amber reminded him.  
  
"Right, right! How could I forget?" Tad said. He smiled hopefully at Amber, but she was busy looking at her menu. "And I miss having you around... just to talk to..."  
  
"Well, we're talking now, aren't we?" Amber asked, completely missing the point Daniels was trying to make.  
  
"I guess we are, at that," he said. "We've got to do this more often."  
  
"I could bring you leftovers over at the Sentinel," Amber suggested. Daniels' eyes lit up.  
  
"You'd do that? For me?"  
  
"Of course! We're friends, right?"  
  
"Yeah. Friends," Tad agreed in a disappointed voice.  
  
------  
  
Amber was halfway through her plate of spaghetti when the beeper at her side started chirping incessantly. She broke off the comment she was making about the latest episode of her favorite show and reached down to her side. The letters "324LH" were flashing on the display screen. This was the code for "Lucifer Hawk attack, get your butt over here immediately."  
  
"I've gotta go!" Amber said, jumping up and grabbing her purse.  
  
"But you're not finished with your lunch," Daniels pointed out.  
  
"Um... can't stay. There's an emergency at work," Amber said. Tad raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"What? Massive pile of horse crap at Broadway and 42nd?"  
  
"Something like that!" Amber said as she started to make her way towards where she had parked her car.  
  
"Hey, before you run off, I wanted to ask you... when can we get together again?"  
  
"Soon, Daniels. It'll be soon, I promise," Amber said. She jumped into the driver's seat and took off like a true New York native, leaving Tad staring after her in admiration.  
  
"I even like the way she drives," he muttered to himself. "Man, I've got it bad!"  
  
Amber pulled up to the location that had been delivered by her beeper and pulled her gun and its holster from beneath the seat. She spotted Calixta's ship up ahead, and clicked on her communicator.  
  
"Ramirez here. What's our situation and what do I need to do?" she asked.  
  
"Amber! Just in time. Right now, we just need you in a backup position. The Hawk's about thirty meters down that alley. Adara and Miakoda are already up front. Get down there and give them some cover fire if you can," Calixta instructed.  
  
Amber nodded, suppressed the knot of nervousness that began to form in her stomach, and ran up the alley. She still felt odd being an actual participant in the action rather than an observer. Reporting was all about watching, observing, and thinking. Not acting. It wasn't always exactly safe; Amber had nearly gotten herself into serious trouble several times during her short journalistic career; but reporting certainly didn't involve putting oneself in the direct line of fire. The thought of what she was about to do—engage a huge monster from another dimension in most likely mortal combat—still terrified her. Luckily for Amber, Mackenzie and the rest of the ECC had gone easy on her. In most of their engagements with Lucifer Hawks, she had been relegated to a backup position.  
  
Upon arriving at the scene, Amber found that her teammates already had the situation pretty well in hand. Adara stood directly in front of the creature shooting a steady stream of flame into the center of its body. Miakoda stood slightly to the right, chanting softly in Navajo. Misty tendrils began to swirl around her, and then solidified into the form of an eagle that rushed at the Lucifer Hawk. The Hawk screamed in pain and confusion at the double attack, and rushed at the two women who were hurting it. Amber ducked instinctively, even though she knew there was no danger to her, as missiles from Calixta's STAV came rushing into the Hawk.  
  
The monster was really hurting now, and began to lash out in madness and rage. One mottled claw swept towards Miakoda from the side. The Navajo woman was turned and didn't see it coming. Amber raised her gun and trained it on the Hawk's swiftly descending arm. (Just like Adara showed you... Aim, concentrate, fire... Just believe that you can do this...) Amber squeezed the trigger and fired a plasma cartridge. The Hawk screeched again and withdrew its attack.  
  
Miakoda nodded in thanks in Amber's direction, and for a brief second, Amber understood what it meant to be a member of the team. She had literally just saved Miakoda's life, and the other girls had watched her back and kept her safe more times than she could remember, and she'd only been with the ECC two weeks! The Lucifer Hawk didn't allow her time to reflect on friendship, life, and teamwork. Apparently, it decided that this group of women it had run into was too much for it to handle, and it crouched low to the ground before launching itself straight up into the air.  
  
Adara and Miakoda continued to throw their respective magics at the Hawk as it slowly rose to the second story level of the buildings that surrounded them. Seeing the two women standing there with various forms of power leaping from their hands didn't startle Amber as much as it had at first. Even with her uncanny ability to discern the truth, wrapping her mind around the idea that magic was real had taken some considerable doing.  
  
"I've got it!" Calixta's voice crackled over the communicator. A series of rockets launched from the 'Aurora' and buried themselves in the Hawk. The rockets detonated, and the Hawk screamed one last time before imploding in on itself. A sphere of energy burst outward from the place where the Hawk had just been, and Amber stumbled back against the wall.  
  
"Is everyone okay?" Calixta asked. "Life check, one, two..."  
  
"Adara here." The leader of the group sounded tired, but had a satisfied smile on her face. "Good work, ladies."  
  
"I'm fine too," Miakoda said.  
  
Calixta waited for Amber to respond for several seconds before prompting her.  
  
"Amber? You okay?"  
  
"Oh! Yes! I'm sorry, I'm all right," she said. Adara's insistence that they all check in after a battle when they were all within sight of each other seemed a little silly sometimes, but Amber did see the sense in the policy. It was a good way to make sure that everyone was intact enough to check in.  
  
Amber stared at the blackened spot where the Hawk had just been.  
  
"Not so scary now, is it?" Miakoda said.  
  
Amber chuckled nervously, then started laughing loudly. She was at the point of having to support herself with one arm against a nearby building when Adara asked her, "Amber... what's so funny?"  
  
Amber began to speak in a fairly good approximation of a Lucifer Hawk's voice. "I used to be a bad-ass Hawk, until guns, and the pesky ECC, defanged me. Now I'm just a biiiiig fluffy puppy, with bad teeth."  
  
Miakoda caught the Buffy reference and started chuckling herself. "Or no teeth," she added, causing Amber to laugh even harder. Adara simply stared at her team-members as if they had lost it.  
  
"I'm not even going to ask."  
  
Calixta landed the 'Aurora' and opened the hatch. Adara hopped in and waved at her teammates.  
  
"I'll see you all back at headquarters," she said.  
  
"Now for the true occupational hazard: paperwork," Calixta said sarcastically.  
  
"You'd think it would be simple," Amber joked. "All we need is one question. 'Did you kill the Lucifer Hawk? Check yes or no.'"  
  
"Don't we wish," Miakoda mumbled.  
  
Amber laughed as she unlocked her car and prepared to drive back to headquarters.  
  
------  
  
"So, how'd your lunch date go?" Adara asked when they had all arrived back at the ECC building. Amber, as was her usual habit, was already busy filling out the forms that the government required of them after each encounter with a Lucifer Hawk.  
  
"It was...nice. It was good to see Daniels again. I just wish I hadn't had to run off in the middle of our conversation. Stupid Lucifer Hawk...why couldn't it wait until after my lunch hour?" Somehow, acting cavalier about the Hawk attack made it seem a little less frightening.  
  
Adara chuckled. "Time and Hawks wait for no woman," she quoted sagely. Amber just rolled her eyes and went back to filling out her form.  
  
"There. Finished," Amber announced a few minutes later.  
  
"Show-off," Miakoda murmured, but her mouth twisted into a smile despite her intentions otherwise. Amber's bouncy enthusiasm was refreshing, at times.  
  
"Now I just have to turn this in to Macken..." Amber's eyes strayed over to the door of the commander's office, and found it closed, and the window dark. "Hey, where is Mackenzie?"  
  
"I remember her telling me something about having to be out of the office," Adara said, trying to recall what it was Mackenzie had said.  
  
"She had a meeting with Captain Marshall," Calixta said, not looking up from her computer screen. "If the rest of you ever checked your inter- office communication modules, you'd know that."  
  
"Oh," Amber said quietly. She was still seething slightly from her own meeting with the man. (Mackenzie isn't going to get anything resembling the truth out of him, she thought. Ah well, there's nothing I can do about it. I just hope she'll listen to me rather than taking his word at face value.)  
  
------  
  
Captain Marshall seemed less inviting than usual to Mackenzie as she strode up to meet him in his office's executive dining hall. This was the second time she had agreed to meet him over lunch within the past few weeks, but this time she was feeling decidedly different about the whole affair. Before she had met him as an old friend worthy of her trust; now there seemed to be an air of hesitation between them. A waitress came and took their order of two coffees. Marshall then turned to Mackenzie with a smile that was both apologetic and oversaturated. "I'm terribly sorry our meeting place had to be this formal, but I'm afraid things have become very busy for me recently. It's looking like I may be promoted soon."  
  
"That's great," Mackenzie congratulated her superior officer. However, she was not concerned enough to question Marshall about it now. "Damien, I asked to talk because I need to get some answers from you."  
  
"Is this about your wanting to understand your memories before the accident?" Marshall asked with a sigh.  
  
"Yes, and about the mem-sweeps. Some of my subordinates have given me reason to believe that there is a connection between mem-sweeps and the accident I had. I know that the mem-sweep testing was under your command until several years ago...until right before the accident on the Victorious. So I'm just going to ask outright: was I ever a mem-sweep test subject?"  
  
Marshall hesitated before answering, and his smile seemed to waver a little. "Honestly James, if you think about all the events, it really wouldn't make sense—"  
  
"It's a simple yes or no question," Mackenzie interrupted.  
  
Marshall looked the stern woman before him in the eye. "No."  
  
Mackenzie's anxiety didn't go away...if anything, it worsened, since she couldn't read Marshall's tone or expressions at all. It was now that she really wished Amber was around to observe Marshall for her. However, she knew she couldn't get Marshall to talk as openly when others were present. Mackenzie leaned back in her chair. "Can you offer me any proof that I wasn't a test subject?" she asked bluntly.  
  
"Is there any proof that you were?" Marshall retorted, folding his hands in front of him. Neither of them seemed to notice when the waitress brought their two coffees. "Have your subordinates found any records or photos that may indicate you were a test subject?"  
  
Mackenzie sighed in frustration. "No, they haven't. But you and I both know the military, Damien...there are many ways to cover up such information."  
  
Marshall sighed. "Why would you be a mem-sweep test subject, James? Most people that signed up for them were trying to forget painful memories. You're doing the exact opposite now. Also, you've always been one of our best officers, even before the accident. Why would the Navy do mem-sweeps on its own officers? It's not only impractical, it's also dangerous." He let part of his wide smile return. "It's understandable that your subordinates would be distrustful of me. It's part of their job to be distrustful, and they don't have the same relationship we do. And if you add that to the fact that mem-sweeps are already a rather touchy subject..."  
  
"It's not just my subordinates' suspicions." Mackenzie looked towards her steaming coffee.  
  
"Then what is it?"  
  
Mackenzie locked eyes with Marshall again. "You told me that my memories would return on their own. And I think you're right...but these aren't the memories that I was expecting. I'm seeing people I don't know, doing things I don't comprehend...it really scares me."  
  
Marshall nodded as if those visions shouldn't warrant any confusion. "I understand that unfamiliar memories like that can be frightening. But to be honest, my best advice would be to not analyze your memories. It's causing unnecessary stress on you; I can see even now that you're more tired than usual. I'm no doctor, but I know it's not healthy for you to stress over events that may not and probably have not happened. Your energy is better spent with the ECC, and protecting this city."  
  
"I know that's advice I should take," Mackenzie nodded. "But that still doesn't explain why I'm remembering these things..."  
  
Before Marshall could answer, a harsh chirping came from inside his jacket. He started, and pulled out his pen phone. "Excuse me a minute, James."  
  
Mackenzie's brow furrowed as Marshall made curt replies to the caller on his small pen phone. She had never considered it courteous to interrupt a meal with someone to carry on a phone conversation, and she certainly didn't appreciate it from Marshall now. Marshall gave a few more "okays" and "I understands" before hanging up again.  
  
"Terribly sorry James, but I've got to run," Marshall apologized, stuffing the phone back into his jacket and standing up. "Urgent business."  
  
"Urgent enough to interrupt a break over coffee with one of your officers?" Mackenzie said in a scolding voice.  
  
"I'm afraid so," Marshall sighed. "I told you things were unnaturally busy for me nowadays. You take care, and remember what I told you. Mem-sweeps are certainly not something you should be worrying about."  
  
Mackenzie was barely able to offer a quick goodbye before he was out the door. She looked across at the empty seat and frowned, suddenly realizing that he'd left her with the bill.  
  
Once again, all of Marshall's explanations seemed to make sense. She was trapped between trusting her good friend and superior officer, and trusting her faithful subordinates. Mackenzie grabbed up her coffee, deciding she would drink it on the trip back. Marshall's advice was sound, and she felt perhaps she should take it easier for awhile. But something still didn't add up...and she wanted Amber to explain a few things to her.  
  
------  
  
"Welcome back, Commander," Adara said as Mackenzie walked into the ECC lobby. The commander nodded in response, but didn't seem to be paying much attention.  
  
"Ensign Ramirez," Mackenzie said, "may I see you in my office, please?" Amber grabbed her completed forms from the top of her desk and walked into her superior's office.  
  
"Sit down, Amber."  
  
She sat, a little stiffly, in one of the chairs that were placed in front of Mackenzie's desk. Terribly afraid she'd done something wrong, she placed her completed reports in front of her commander as a peace offering. Mackenzie had to smile at the nervous, eager-to-please expression on Amber's face.  
  
"You're not in trouble, you know," Mackenzie said. Amber lifted her head a little.  
  
"I'm not?"  
  
"No. I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions. About your...power."  
  
Amber just looked confused.  
  
"My...my what?" she asked. Then she remembered the pink crystal hanging around her neck. "Oh, that! I just don't think of it as a power, you know. Not like Adara or Miakoda..."  
  
"It is an unusual ability," Mackenzie said, then paused uncomfortably before continuing. "However, I'd like to know more about how you work. How you know when things are...false. I just talked to Captain Marshall, and he gave me some perfectly good explanations for why you might have sensed that he wasn't being completely truthful. There are certain things that are confidential..."  
  
"No, it wasn't like that... My talent, or whatever it is, doesn't just work like that. I don't know how to explain it. I've never really tried before. I don't talk about it much...I always got the feeling Dad didn't like me to," Amber explained.  
  
"I'd like you to try now, please," Mackenzie requested.  
  
"I've always been able to tell the truth from a lie," Amber began. "Ever since I was little. I knew when my parents were trying to tell me things to make it easier for me. I knew when my puppy got hit by a car, and they told me he ran away. They told me the lie, and I just knew the truth. It was...hard."  
  
"Does it always work like that?" Mackenzie asked. "You can see the truth in a direct lie?"  
  
"Only sometimes. It has to be a fairly straightforward lie, and the answer needs to be...kind of obvious, almost. It gets harder for me when people are...telling half-truths, or trying to use the truth for deceitful purposes," Amber told her. "Those two are the worst. I...I can't stand it when people do that."  
  
"But you can sense deceit as well?"  
  
"If I'm wearing my crystal I can," Amber said.  
  
"I noticed that you touch it all the time... does it have to be touching your skin for it to work?"  
  
"Oh... no, not really. That's just something I do to assure myself it's still there. The crystal is usually very warm, but if there's a real lie being told it gets cold to the touch. It's really helped me...almost like it amplifies what I can do naturally."  
  
"Where did you get it?" Mackenzie asked. Amber just shrugged.  
  
"I really have no idea. It came in the mail for me when I was about thirteen. No return address, no nothing. I put it on, and all of a sudden...I could do more than I could before. With my crystal, I can tell that something is wrong with the intent of the words rather than the words themselves. And the greater the deceit, the more I can feel it. I just can't tell what the truth behind it is."  
  
"Unlike with an outright lie," Mackenzie finished for her.  
  
"Exactly. And...that half-truth business? That's exactly what I was getting from Captain Marshall. Especially when he was talking about your involvement with the mem-sweep program," Amber shut her mouth tightly after saying that, afraid that she had gone too far.  
  
"He denied everything just now, you know," Mackenzie informed her.  
  
"That's because there's something he doesn't want you to know! I tried to tell you that even back before I joined the ECC! I had a reliable source inside the Navy connect your name with the mem-sweeps. I'm sure that's what Marshall's trying to hide," Amber insisted.  
  
Mackenzie gave her a sharp look that made the younger woman shrink back into her chair, but then her expression softened.  
  
"I don't know what to tell you. Marshall was my commanding officer. I trusted him, but I don't like to ignore what you're telling me. I think your Truthsaying powers might be on to something."  
  
"Truthsaying? That's an interesting way to put it... I've never thought about what to call it before," Amber mused.  
  
"I asked Miakoda and Adara for any information they might have about people with power like yours before I approved your invitation to join the ECC," Mackenzie explained. "That's what Miakoda came up with."  
  
"So I'm a Truthsayer. I think I like the sound of that," Amber said, and smiled to herself. "So, do you want me to try and find out more about Marshall's cover-up?" Mackenzie shook her head.  
  
"I'd really rather you didn't. Keep your ears open for anything you might hear, certainly, but don't go seeking information. I don't want you to get involved in something that might put you in danger, and reflect on the ECC."  
  
"Of course," Amber said. "I'll be careful."  
  
Mackenzie nodded, and indicated that Amber was free to go. As the Truthsayer stepped jauntily out of the room, the commander sighed, knowing that Amber's definition of 'careful' and her own were probably not the same.  
  
"I am so starving," Amber complained as she plunked down at her desk and opened her article on the LAC. "I wish I'd gotten to eat a little more. I guess I'll just have to wait for dinner." The mention of dinner triggered a memory from that morning, and a sudden realization caused her to jump out of her chair.  
  
"Dinner! I almost forgot!" She went out into the common room so her voice would carry to all of the offices. "Hey! Guys! My mom told me to invite you all to dinner tomorrow. That is...if you want to come...you don't have to...she's just...I mean she always...she likes to meet my friends." A slightly surprised silence hung over the office for a while, and Amber began to shift awkwardly. She wasn't sure if she wanted everyone to come, or no one.  
  
"I'd be glad to come, Amber," Mackenzie said finally.  
  
"And so would I," Adara added. Amber smiled gratefully at the two of them.  
  
"Free food sounds good to me...and I've heard you talk about your mom's cooking," Miakoda said.  
  
"I'll be there too. Sounds like fun," Calixta said. Amber blinked a couple of times as the fact that every single one of her teammates had accepted the invitation tried to make its way through her skull.  
  
"All right! Let me just give her a call...she'll be so happy that you're coming. Thank you," Amber said as she ran back into her office and picked up the phone.  
  
------  
  
"So this is the place?" Calixta asked as the five women stood outside of the Ramirez family apartment.  
  
"Yep. It may not look like much, but it's close to New Central Park, and the view of the city at night is pretty nice," Amber said. She turned the doorknob, and, finding it unlocked, stuck her head in.  
  
"Mami! We're here!" she called.  
  
"Come in! Everybody, come in!" Julia Ramirez said. She was engaged in setting various dishes of steaming food on the table, and had enlisted Benita and Julio to help her.  
  
"Wow...that's...a lot of food," Calixta said.  
  
"Mami tends to go a little overboard sometimes," Amber said, hungrily eyeing the feast her mother had prepared. She saw that Julia had brought out her 'company dishes,' and hid her smile behind her hand as they all sat down at the table.  
  
"Let me explain about the dishes," Julia said when everyone was seated. "Anything in a green dish is mild, safe enough for even a little baby to eat. Things in yellow dishes have a little more kick to them, but not so bad. And things in the red dishes..."  
  
"Eat from them only if you want to be breathing fire afterwards," Amber finished for her mother.  
  
"Someone who color codes her cooking," Adara said. "That is so..."  
  
"Obsessive compulsive?" Amber asked and winked teasingly at Julia.  
  
"I was going to say cute, actually," Adara said, and reached for the closest green serving dish. Mrs. Ramirez immediately launched into an explanation of what it was.  
  
"Chicken, browned in oil, with a little basil and rosemary..." The rest of the group didn't hear her finish as they started reaching for the closest dish. Amber gave herself a heaping portion of chile rice and got an extreme amount of amusement from watching Calixta raise an eyebrow at her.  
  
"I would advise everyone to stay away from Amber after dinner," Calixta told everyone by way of warning.  
  
"This is very good, Mrs. Ramirez. Thank you," Mackenzie said. Julia beamed, and Mackenzie saw where Amber got a good deal of her personality. Not that Amber would ever admit it, of course. Mackenzie smiled to herself and took another bite of the delicious enchiladas.  
  
In the middle of all of the chatter, Amber sat back in her chair and gave a relieved sigh. Her friends and her family actually both seemed to be having a good time. Mackenzie had somehow managed to engage her father in conversation, and Calixta was explaining some new technological gadget to her computer-crazy little brother. Benita was pestering Miakoda about her Navajo heritage, but the psychic didn't seem to mind.  
  
(Not bad, all things considered,) Amber thought to herself. Suddenly Calixta's function-laden watch made an odd noise, and a startled gasp came from Julio. Amber winced. (Maybe I spoke too soon.)  
  
"No...please...don't touch that," Calixta said. She had taken her watch off and set it by her plate, and it had proved too tempting for Amber's curious little brother. He took his hand away and looked ashamed.  
  
"How many times have I told you not to touch things that weren't yours?" Mrs. Ramirez scolded.  
  
"Oh... sorry," Julio said and tried to push the timepiece back in Calixta's direction. In the process, he hit another button, and a tiny holographic projection of Star Trek: The Next Generation's Data appeared above the watch's face.  
  
"Captain Solaris," the hologram said, "the Romulan ambassador is hailing us. How should I proceed?" All conversation around the table stopped, and Benita tried and failed to smother a giggle. Calixta looked as if she were trying to become one with her chair.  
  
"I see you think you're going to be outranking me," Adara cracked after several moments of silence. Calixta was not amused.  
  
"Don't feel bad, honey," Mrs. Ramirez said. "You should have seen Amber's old room." Now, it was Amber's turn to look mortified. "Posters of this little blonde girl everywhere. And vampires!" Mrs. Ramirez crossed herself. "Did you know that when she was in high school she dressed up for Halloween as a...what was that, Amber?"  
  
"A slayer," Amber mumbled.  
  
"She had a stake and everything!" Benita volunteered helpfully.  
  
"I'll bet the pictures from that are adorable," Miakoda said. Amber tried to shake her head discreetly, get her co-worker's attention long enough to let her know that saying anything about photographs to her mother could potentially involve hours of looking at albums. But it was too late. Mrs. Ramirez was already pulling thick binders off of a shelf in the living room.  
  
Dinner went on through second helpings, and thirds, and dessert. By the time everyone was ready to leave, most of the ECC members were wondering if they were ever going to need to eat again.  
  
"I don't think I'm going to be able to move for a week," Adara groaned. Julia smiled and patted her on the shoulder.  
  
"Then I've done good," she said. "I always feel like a success if everyone goes home full and happy."  
  
"And we all are, Mami," Amber said and gave her mother a goodnight kiss on the cheek.  
  
------  
  
Five days later, Amber came into Calixta's office with a bounce in her step that was unusually perky, even for her.  
  
"What's gotten into you?" Calixta asked. It was nearing the end of the day, and most of the group looked ready to go home. Amber grinned and pulled a magazine out of the bag slung over her arm and dropped it onto Calixta's desk.  
  
"Look at page nineteen," Amber instructed, and peered over Calixta's shoulder as she flipped the pages.  
  
" 'Brothers and Equals: A Perspective on the Latin American Coalition Aid Bill,'" the redhead read. Her eyes widened as she continued. "By Amber Ramirez! That's...you!" Amber just grinned. "Hey guys, come look at this!" Calixta yelled.  
  
In ten seconds flat, Calixta's office was filled with all of the other members of the ECC. Amber found herself being patted on the back, congratulated, and generally surrounded with people who wished her well.  
  
"I'm so happy for you, Amber," Miakoda said.  
  
"It looks like we've got ourselves a real writer on our hands," Adara said, much to the delight of the writer in question.  
  
"We could go celebrate tonight," Miakoda suggested. "How about we treat our budding journalist to dinner?" The rest of the team nodded.  
  
"So, this is your party, where do you want to eat?" Adara asked.  
  
"Well," Amber said, "there's this great Mexican place called La Esperanza..."  
  
"Now there's a surprise," Calixta murmured as all of them went to get their jackets. "If only I were a betting woman, I'd be so much richer right now."  
  
"Except that no one would have bet against you," Adara pointed out.  
  
Amber grinned. "Isn't that the truth?"  
  
---------------------------------------------  
  
Next Episode Preview: Miakoda: "We live every day in the shadow of our past. As I try to guide others toward the light, I realize how much the darkness of my old mistakes still shrouds my life."  
  
Next Episode: Past Imperfect 


	5. Past Imperfect

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny  
  
Book 0: Tokyo  
  
Chapter 5: Past Imperfect  
  
Authors: OSTOCOM  
  
Email and website: See our profile  
  
Rating: PG-13 for some language  
  
Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See Book 0 for complete disclaimer.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------  
  
-- New York: Friday, December-16-2035  
  
The bright rays of sun slanted through cold glass, falling on Miakoda Nakai's face as she woke. Rolling deeper into her white comforter, Miakoda inhaled deeply, reveling in the luxury of a slow morning. It was Saturday, and although she knew she had responsibilities, none of them would intrude on her solitude for another two hours.  
  
Lifting her willowy body to a sitting position, Miakoda again took a deep breath and began to hum softly, the deep meditation rhythms of her Navajo ancestors. She paused momentarily, and reached for several items that lay on her bedstead: a bunch of sage tied with colorful string, and a long match. She struck the match and lit the top of the sage, carefully blowing on it until it smoldered and released a light, fragrant smoke into the air. She placed both items in a ceramic holder and moved herself to the center of her low bed, crossing her legs and lifting her arms.  
  
"Oh God of the Heavens, Great Spirit of the Earth, bless my day and give your handmaiden the strength to live with clarity of the river. May my actions be as a fragrance to you and your Son."  
  
Miakoda took a deep breath of the sage-scented air and exhaled slowly. She stretched her arms out and pushed the sheer white curtains out to the very edges of the window. It was so beautiful outside—unusually bright and warm for December. Suddenly she wanted to go for a walk and enjoy exercise, nature, and some time alone.  
  
Not alone. Something within her whispered, and felt a sense of foreboding. Whether it was God, her psychic intuition, or God working through her psychic intuition, she had quit trying to distinguish long ago.  
  
"All right," she sighed. "Not alone." She tried to decide who to invite to walk with her. Calixta and Amber were probably already at work, which left Mackenzie and Adara. Miakoda decided to try Mackenzie's number; she hadn't gotten a chance to talk to the Chief in a while. She lifted the receiver and dialed. No one answered, so Miakoda left a message on the machine. (She probably went to work early,) Miakoda thought. (She's been doing that a lot lately...)  
  
She shook her head and pushed the thought away. (Well, Adara's not due in for a few more hours,) she remembered. (Still, she's probably not that interested...)  
  
Call her.  
  
Miakoda raised an eyebrow. "All right," she answered the voice. She dialed Adara's cell phone number.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi Adara. It's Miakoda. I was wondering if you'd like to go for a walk with me."  
  
The question seemed to catch Adara off guard. "Um...sure. I'd love to, actually. What made you ask all of a sudden?"  
  
"Just...a sense, I suppose," Miakoda replied.  
  
"Hmm. Interesting." Adara seemed lost in her thoughts for a while.  
  
"Adara?"  
  
"Oh, sorry," Adara said. "Why don't you meet me by the Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park?"  
  
"Sure," said Miakoda. "I'll meet you there in twenty minutes."  
  
She hung up and extinguished the burning sage. The smoke disappeared, but the scent lingered in the air like a sacred memory as Miakoda left her home.  
  
------  
  
Miakoda inhaled the crisp air as she stood by the large bronze statue of Alice, the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter —which was already crawling with children laughing and playing together. The atmosphere was full of the scent of dying leaves and frosted earth, pregnant with the sleeping spring. Miakoda was thankful for the earth-life the Park still afforded, a refuge from the teeming metropolis.  
  
Just then, she saw Adara coming up the path in a well-tailored, navy blue jogging outfit. Her hair was in a long braid instead of the usual bun. "Hi," she said. "Nice morning, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes," Miakoda agreed. "How are you?"  
  
"Well—" Adara hesitated. "All right, I guess."  
  
Miakoda gestured to a nearby trail, and the two started walking. "Would you like to talk about it?"  
  
"It's just—" Adara put her hands in her pockets and continued walking along the grayish-green grass. "Well, it's a lot like this, actually." She took a hand out of her pocket and gestured toward the blue sky and the gray, leafless trees. "I wake up and think, 'Wow, this could be a beautiful day,' but then I get out here and it's so ugly and desolate. Maybe it's just too late to have anything really beautiful."  
  
Miakoda looked at her, wondering that Adara did not also sense the promise heavy in the winter air. "What makes you say that?"  
  
Adara sighed, and looked around to make sure they were alone. "My mother called this morning."  
  
"Oh. I see..."  
  
The two turned a corner, and the trail opened into a grove. Adara smiled as she noticed a black woman laughing and throwing a baseball to her ten-year- old daughter. The daughter dropped it, picked it up, and threw it to her father. "It could have been like that," Adara said softly. "And part of me wants badly to believe that it can still be like this, that it's not too late...but it feels like there's a shadow over everything..."  
  
Miakoda suddenly felt as though ice was spreading through her blood. She touched Adara's arm. "There is a shadow," she whispered.  
  
Adara looked back at the family and noticed blackness stretching across the grass toward them. "Run!" she shouted at them.  
  
The family looked at Adara, confused. "Run!" Miakoda echoed. She ran full- speed toward the family, hoping she could get between them and the shadow before it was too late...  
  
Adara had the same idea. Seconds later, she and Miakoda were positioned between the family and the Lucifer Hawk. Adara glanced back. Good—the family had started running. Now they could concentrate on their enemy. She turned her eyes back to the Hawk.  
  
It was big. This bulwark of muscle, this frightening tangle of claws, red eyes, and jagged wings, towered at least five feet over her head. Adara swallowed nervously and took a step back.  
  
The Lucifer Hawk followed, swinging a long, clawed arm toward her. The swish of air came uncomfortably close to Adara's head. Adara winced, and continued backing up to where Miakoda stood. "Shields. Now!" she ordered.  
  
"Ah-kin-cil-toh!" Miakoda said. A golden energy shield materialized around them. It crackled as the Lucifer Hawk touched it, searching for weaknesses.  
  
"I am Ceyx," it said, continuing to calmly to probe the shield with its clawed arm.  
  
"I see," Adara said. "So you like to be on a first-name basis with your prey?" She began relaxing her muscles and conjuring an image of fire to her mind. Ceyx would see just who was going to get barbecued.  
  
"Please understand," Ceyx said, "we mean you no harm."  
  
"That's what the settlers said when they came," Miakoda said cynically, "and it was a lie then, too."  
  
Ceyx smiled, showing a snout full of small, sharp teeth. Suddenly it lunged forward, and his arm broke through the shield. Adara shot a fireball toward his exposed arm. Ceyx yelped at the heat and withdrew his arm. Miakoda gritted her teeth and muttered a spell to strengthen the shield.  
  
"Are you all right?" Adara asked.  
  
"Fine," Miakoda said, breathing heavily, "but I'm not sure how much longer I can hold the shield."  
  
"Acknowledged." Adara flipped on her communicator. "Calixta, we need backup in Central Park. We have a big pile here."  
  
"I'm on it," Calixta said over the intercom. "I'll bring the extra-large shovel."  
  
"All right, Miakoda," Adara said, "we have backup on the way."  
  
Ceyx smiled. "You mean for me to be intimidated, no doubt," he said, "but you have failed to consider that perhaps I also have backup."  
  
Adara and Miakoda looked up and saw another Lucifer Hawk hovering above Ceyx. It was larger, wingless, and more brutish-looking. Adara looked from the Hawk back to the drained Miakoda and swore furiously.  
  
The Hawk looked down at the two women. "This is hardly even a good-sized snack," it complained to Ceyx.  
  
"Snack?" Adara snarled. "Eat this!" She hurled flames toward Ceyx and the second Lucifer Hawk. Ceyx managed to dodge, but the second Lucifer Hawk screamed as it caught fire and began burning. Miakoda took advantage of this chance to summon a whirlwind that tore through the Hawk before dissipating into the air.  
  
"He's down!" cried Miakoda.  
  
"He'll survive," Ceyx said.  
  
A spinner raced towards them over the grass. Amber jumped out, brandishing her gun. "That's more than I can say for you," she said. She fired a quick succession of shots at Ceyx, most of which he evaded.  
  
"Amber! Fall back to position epsilon!" Adara ordered.  
  
"Epsilon...epsilon..." Amber muttered to herself. "Oh, right!" She swung around behind Adara, leaving the ECC members in a triangular pattern around the Hawk.  
  
"I feel terror at my own impending death," Ceyx drawled sarcastically.  
  
"You should," said Amber, looking up at the sky, where an angular ship sped toward Ceyx from behind.  
  
Ceyx turned and eyed the ship. "Is that all?" he sneered. "Is this the famed backup meant to strike fear into my heart?"  
  
Adara looked up. Somehow, the 'Aurora' did seem smaller than usual. But appearances could be deceiving. (Come on, Calixta,) she thought, (show him what this thing is made of.)  
  
Ceyx spun around and floated up toward the Aurora. He extended his claws and struck the ship. Sparks flew and flames billowed from the crack his claws created. The ship began tottering and sinking.  
  
"Calixta!" Miakoda shouted.  
  
"You'll pay for that, you bastard!" Adara screamed.  
  
Ceyx flew back toward them, a smug smile on his face. "Why do you persist in fighting me?"  
  
Calixta's voice resounded above him. "The question is, why do you persist in fighting us?"  
  
Ceyx whirled around, and saw ten ships...eleven...and more and more appearing all the time. "Impossible!" he screamed.  
  
"I'm sorry," said Calixta. "That's the wrong answer."  
  
The middle ship in the formation fired three shots into Ceyx's chest. Amber followed this with several slugs from her NX-5150. Ceyx collapsed and exploded in a puff of dust. The second Lucifer Hawk pulled itself up and began staggering toward Miakoda.  
  
"Miakoda!" Amber yelled.  
  
Miakoda whirled around. "Ne-ahs-jah!" she shouted, and a ghostly shadow of an owl flew toward the Lucifer Hawk, screeching. The Hawk roared as the owl pierced his heart. A shot from Calixta's ship hit him in the stomach, and he died, howling in pain.  
  
"Is everyone all right down there?" Calixta asked.  
  
"Fine," Miakoda replied.  
  
"I'm good," Amber said. "Adara?"  
  
"How the hell did you get all those ships?" Adara demanded. "Who did the Chief have to bribe?"  
  
"I see your sense of ethics is fully intact," Calixta said dryly. "You must be all right, then."  
  
"I'm fine, but you won't be if I don't get some answers," Adara said.  
  
"Sure," Calixta said. "You guys want a lift?" She flew the middle ship down toward the street and lowered a ladder. Adara, Amber, and Miakoda climbed into the ship.  
  
"Answers. Now!" Adara demanded as the ship flew off.  
  
"You can't just be grateful, can you?" Calixta asked. "No, you have to ask how I rescued you just on time, yet again, with typical strategic brilliance."  
  
"Modest, isn't she?" Adara asked irritably.  
  
"Well, she does have a point," Miakoda said. Adara glared at her.  
  
"What?" Amber said. "It's true!"  
  
"Everyone's against me," Adara muttered.  
  
"If I had been against you, I wouldn't have saved you," Calixta pointed out. "And since you're my very favorite field commander, I'll humor you and tell you how. It's magic."  
  
"Magic." Adara looked skeptical.  
  
"Now you see them..." Calixta gestured toward the other ships outside the window. She pushed a button. "Now you don't."  
  
Suddenly, the ships vanished. Miakoda blinked hard, stared, squinted, and blinked again. No, they were definitely gone. "Wow," she said.  
  
Adara inhaled sharply. "Are those stealth cloaks?"  
  
"Nothing so expensive," Calixta said. "It's just—"  
  
"Ooh!" said Amber. "Can I tell them?"  
  
Calixta looked at her, slightly annoyed. "Sure," she said. "I guess the dramatic mood is kind of ruined anyway."  
  
"They're holographic simulations," Amber explained, thrilled at the chance to show off her newfound knowledge. "They're basically arrangements of light particles designed to look like the real thing. It works just like the holomodule. Right?"  
  
"Um...yeah, that's pretty much it, give or take a few technicalities," Calixta replied.  
  
"I see," Adara said. "And who did the Chief have to bribe to get us those holographic simulations?"  
  
"Just me." Calixta grinned. "I've been working overtime getting a few projectors installed on the Aurora and creating the sim-ships."  
  
"You told me you were fixing a wiring problem!" Adara exclaimed.  
  
"I was," Calixta said. "The wiring wouldn't support a projector. That's what I'd call a wiring problem."  
  
"You—you—" Adara stared at Calixta, at a loss for words. "You are a pain in the ass! That is going on your official record!"  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Calixta grinned and saluted. Then she and Adara burst out laughing.  
  
"You're too much," Adara said, wiping her eyes. "What would I do without you?"  
  
"Die, probably," Calixta said.  
  
"Don't say that!" Miakoda said with sudden vehemence.  
  
"I don't want to think about it either," Amber said somberly, "but the fact is we're in a dangerous line of work. We take what precautions we can, but..." She let the sentence hang in the air.  
  
"...but we just don't know what's going to happen tomorrow," Calixta concluded.  
  
"I know," Miakoda said. She tried to smile. It was stupid of her to feel this way, because she believed in the power of God over death...and yet the sense of a dark shadow had not gone away with the death of the Hawk. "'You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes,'" she quoted softly, looking out the window.  
  
"Well," said Adara, "as long as the Hawks vanish faster than we do, it doesn't matter to me."  
  
------  
  
When they reached ECC Headquarters, Calixta and Amber both made a beeline for the small office kitchen. Miakoda smiled. It seemed that fighting always made the two youngest members of ECC hungry.  
  
Adara went to her desk, and sat down heavily. She waved a hand across a vanilla candle, lighting it, and then dropped her head into her arms. Miakoda looked at her with concern. Adara hadn't been her usual energetic self that past few days, and Miakoda knew it had something to do with her mother's return.  
  
She walked over and placed a hand on Adara's arm. "Are you all right?"  
  
Adara inhaled deeply as she sat up. "Ah...fine. Just tired."  
  
"We didn't finish our conversation. Would you like to finish it now?"  
  
Adara's eyebrows furrowed, but her body language told Miakoda she wanted to talk, so Miakoda pulled a chair over and sat down.  
  
"There's...really nothing else to say. Part of me wants to believe that this can work out, that we can have something resembling a normal mother- daughter relationship...but the rest of me doesn't believe that can happen." The fire elemental's eyes narrowed painfully. "And another part of me doesn't even want it to."  
  
"You're still angry with her for abandoning you."  
  
Adara looked at Miakoda, surprise and anger mixed in her expression. "You wouldn't understand," she sighed heavily as she closed her eyes.  
  
"Try me," Miakoda challenged.  
  
Adara opened her eyes and focused them on her companion. "Do you know why my father and I left California?"  
  
Miakoda shook her head no.  
  
"Fire powers run in my family," she started conversationally. "My grandmother was a fire elemental as was her mother before her and her mother was a great fire mage. When my mother was born, however, she didn't show any signs of having the same kind of power. As she grew up, it became fairly obvious that she wasn't going to be an elemental and that she didn't even have enough control to be a mage. It had to be disappointing to her, not being able to do what the rest of the family could. Grandmother held out hope that perhaps her daughter's child would continue the line, even if my mother couldn't. But when I was born, I didn't manifest powers right away. Grandmother began to despair as I grew up and it seemed like I would follow in my mother's footsteps. But finally, after I turned six, I threw a fit over something—I don't even remember what now—and I lit the couch on fire." She shook her head and smiled wryly. "I think that's the only time I was ever praised for setting fire to a piece of furniture."  
  
Miakoda shared the smile and encouraged her to go on.  
  
"I started getting more and more powerful as the year went on and I saw my mother growing more and more depressed," Adara continued. "I couldn't understand then what I do now—she was jealous of me. I had attained something that she had sought after her whole life. She started drinking. Daddy often had to work late and it was usually just mother and me at home alone. There were times when she would fly into piques of rage at the slightest thing. I tried so hard to please her..." Here the young woman trailed off and clenched her eyes shut, trying to keep tears from escaping.  
  
"No matter what I did, it wasn't enough. One night I was so eager to show her how much control I'd mastered. I made a flame that could dance and sparkle. I thought it was so beautiful that I couldn't wait to show her." As she spoke, a small flame appeared in the palm of her hand. It was shaped almost like a miniature person, with two "legs" and two "arms," and it wove itself in a small, sprightly dance.  
  
"She was drinking. And she got so upset when she saw that little flame. She said so many things...I didn't understand. After that, things happened so fast. There was a fire...She blamed me for starting it, but I know I didn't!" She looked at Miakoda earnestly, as if trying to defend herself against an unspoken accusation. "I felt the power come from her. I know I didn't start that fire!"  
  
"I believe you," Miakoda said.  
  
Adara blinked and then dropped her gaze to the floor. "I don't really remember much, but after that Daddy and I left California for good."  
  
Miakoda sighed heavily. She hadn't expected the real story to be that intense. It was no wonder that Adara was confused about the return of her mother. On the one hand, she would like nothing more than her mother's love and approval. But on the other hand, how could she forget the pain she had undergone as a child? "Can I offer you some advice?" she asked finally.  
  
"Feel free. Lord knows I could use it."  
  
"Be careful, Adara. Anger affects everything. It can affect your self- control, and it can keep you from making the right decisions." Miakoda sat back as a cloud of pain passed before her eyes. "Sometimes the opportunity to reconcile never comes." She focused on Adara again, an earnest spark in her voice. "Even if it doesn't work out, you have to take that chance. You have to reach for peace and closure while you still can."  
  
Adara was silent for a few heartbeats, then leaned forward and hugged Miakoda quickly. "You're right. I should. I'm just not sure how."  
  
Miakoda hugged her back. "You'll know Adara. Yahweh will guide you."  
  
"Thank you," Adara said with a watery smile. "It really helps to have someone to talk to."  
  
Miakoda nodded, her eyes gathering a far away look. (If only I'd talked to someone...)  
  
------  
  
-- Kayenta, Navajo Nation: June-19-2022  
  
"I HATE YOU!!"  
  
Anger pulsed through the 15-year-old's voice as she shouted at her father. "You don't understand me! You never understand!"  
  
"Miakoda..." Her father Nascha started, exhaustion in his voice.  
  
"Don't call me that!" his daughter snapped. "It's Willow. I can't live in the real world with a name like Miakoda."  
  
"That name is a proud name of your people," Nascha said firmly.  
  
"Your people maybe," the girl sneered, and slammed the door to her room.  
  
"Miakoda!" Her father stood outside her door. "This behavior will not change my mind. You will not go out with that boy tonight."  
  
"Watch me!"  
  
The older man sighed. "He is not good for you, Mia," he murmured in Navajo.  
  
"What would you know?" The response flashed back in English.  
  
"I know because I love you," Nascha said resolutely.  
  
The sound of something heavy being thrown against the door accompanied a shrill teenaged yell of frustration. "Get out of my life!!" The words seemed to echo down the hall long after her father had gone to bed.  
  
---  
  
Early the next morning, before the sun touched the red Arizona hills, a thin figure stole across the yard.  
  
Waiting at the end of the drive was a young man on the back of a Harley- Davidson. Miakoda approached him, hefting a backpack onto the back of the motorcycle. He grabbed her around the waist, and pulled her close for a hard kiss.  
  
She pulled away, laughing with the exhilarating freedom that coursed through her veins. Throwing a long leg over the motorcycle, she tucked herself in, pressing against his back. "Let's go," she breathed seductively into his ear. "I don't ever want to come back."   
  
------  
  
-- New York: Saturday, December-17-2035  
  
A soft triple-knock sounded on the door to Commander Jameson's office at ECC Headquarters.  
  
Mackenzie looked up and smiled. "Come in, Willow."  
  
Miakoda entered and answered her friend's smile. "I thought I was the psychic."  
  
"It hardly takes a psychic. You have very distinct knock." Mackenzie pushed her thick black hair off her shoulders as she sat back in her chair. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"I noticed you hadn't left for lunch yet." Miakoda glanced at the tiny replica of a grandfather clock reading 2:30. "I thought you might like to join me."  
  
"Thank you, but I'll have to pass." Mackenzie ruffled through a drawer and then held up a pre-packaged sandwich. "I picked some up on the subway this morning." Her open body language had already closed in on itself, and her attention turned back to her paperwork.  
  
Miakoda frowned. "James..."  
  
"I know what you're going to say, Will, but I really have too much to do." Mackenzie interrupted. "Calixta's little holographic fleet was seen by at least half a dozen people this morning, and that means reports and forms..." She shuffled the papers in front of her.  
  
"Mackenzie." Miakoda gently but firmly placed a hand over the papers, forcing them down on the table. "You need to go out. You have been cooped up in this office far too much lately. It's not good for you."  
  
Mackenzie gave her friend a dry look. "I get plenty of exercise and fresh air."  
  
"That's not what I'm concerned about."  
  
"Willow, I have to put my work first. It's called responsibility."  
  
Miakoda looked the other woman dead in the eye. "Or workaholism."  
  
Mackenzie's black eyes hardened. "Are you suggesting I've become addicted to work? I know what addictions are, Will. Addictions are things that give you a plus-one, a high. Trust me, this..." She gestured to the forms on her desk. "...is not giving me a plus-one."  
  
"Sometimes." Miakoda nodded. "But sometimes addictions are as simple as the things we hide behind in order to avoid confronting the real issues in our lives."  
  
Mackenzie said nothing, and the two women simply looked at each other for a moment. A heartbeat later, Miakoda simply lifted her hand off the desk and quietly left the room.  
  
------  
  
-- Baja Mexico: July-5-2024  
  
The needle slid into her skin easily, oblivion coursing through her veins like a familiar lover. Her only lover.  
  
The last person she had called "lover" was gone—faded like the bruises he had inflicted. The bruises on her arms were smaller now, and self-made. She was thankful for her dark skin—it made them easier to hide. She could ask for more if the man thought she was healthy.  
  
"Willow!" A concerned face hovered above her. Who was it? It was so blurry...Maria. It was Maria. Only Maria wore lipstick that red. "Willow...shit, girl! You can't work when you're strung out. Dios!" Maria's face went away, but Miakoda could still hear her. "Fine, you stay. I'm going out. First day of summer...I plan on making lots of money off these extranjeros."  
  
Extranjero Foreigner. That was what they had called her when she first arrived in Mexico with...what was his name again? She had left home for him. Now he was nothing but a distant figure traveling down a long lonely highway of memory.  
  
A sigh escaped her lips. The money kept her alive. There were always los turistos in Baja; it was one of the few places left unscathed by the Crisis. The money kept her alive, so it didn't matter. It didn't matter that her body was no longer her own. It didn't matter that no one loved her. She had oblivion to comfort her.  
  
---  
  
She adjusted her short red skirt and smoothed the last of the gloss over her full lips. Clarity and reality had returned, and the night would not wait.  
  
She entered the bar quickly and silently. The owner was willing to overlook her and the other girls, so long as they didn't make their presence obvious. Besides, so many lonely people left in the arms of strangers in places like this: who was to know if they would be paying for it later?  
  
Her eyes scanned the crowd, searching. For the most part, they all looked the same, regular muchachos who knew better than to pick up a local whore. Willow silently cursed herself for not getting out sooner. The foreigners looking for company were already gone.  
  
Then she saw him.  
  
He wasn't hard to pick out from a crowd. Far from it. Tall, with red hair that fell nearly to his shoulders. He was so obviously foreign it was almost painful. Willow began to walk closer, evaluating him.  
  
Powerfully built, which could be dangerous if he got violent. But something told her he wouldn't. That he was not capable of violence toward a woman.  
  
He slouched closer toward the bar, his blazing hair falling like a curtain over his face. (Hiding,) Willow sensed. (Hiding from the pain.)  
  
For a moment, she hesitated. But really her choice had already been made. It was obvious the foreigner needed someone. She was not who he needed, but she was someone...and for tonight, that would be enough.  
  
------  
  
-- New York: ECC Headquarters, Monday, December-19-2035  
  
Miakoda watched the mocha and peppermint syrup dissolve into the coffee as she slowly stirred. When she felt satisfied that the mocha was sufficiently blended, she took a sip, reveling in the rich taste and slight burn of the hot liquid on her lips and tongue. The winter wind whistled outside, the heating system was just beginning to warm the frigid air at ECC Headquarters. She clutched the mug for warmth.  
  
Cold hands and a burnt tongue. She smiled. It was Christmas time for sure.  
  
The door to the main office slid open, and a bundled Calixta Solaris entered, shaking the sleet off her large brown overcoat.  
  
"Sorry I'm late. Thank God the pH-balance in this..." Calixta paused, looking at her sodden coat. "...sorry-excuse-for-snow is good today. If the acid count was higher, I never would have gotten here."  
  
"Subway delays?" Miakoda handed her a cup of steaming mocha, which Calixta accepted with a sigh.  
  
"Yes. You know, I would have to choose an apartment in an area with only one subway line. My other option was a taxi—and so of course everyone else in Manhattan had the same idea." Calixta dropped into a chair and took a sip of coffee. "Ah!" She flinched, jerking away from the heat. She grimaced and set the mug on the small table in front of her. "Honestly Miakoda, I'm not feeling very reverential right now. If you want to have a morning prayer, you'd better go on without me."  
  
"That's all right," Miakoda responded, settling into a chair opposite her friend. "We can just talk for awhile, if you'd rather."  
  
Calixta did not respond, but lifted her mug for another sip.  
  
Miakoda was puzzled by the look of fresh hurt in her teammate's eyes. She did not know what it was about, but she decided against inquiring. Calixta would tell her on her own time.  
  
"Oh!" Miakoda started, setting down her mocha. "I was going to ask you about the Christmas Festival on the twenty-third. Did you still want to invite the other girls?"  
  
Calixta looked away. "Actually, I wasn't planning on going myself." She gave a sudden, bitter laugh. "But then again, I have nowhere else to be."  
  
A crease broke Miakoda's smooth forehead. "Did you call your grandmother about spending Christmas Day in Dallas?"  
  
"Yeah, I called."  
  
"Is she still refusing to see you or let you speak to Anna?"  
  
Calixta's arms folded as she forced out a short, pained breath. "Well, she doesn't have to refuse anymore. Anna's gone."  
  
Miakoda's eyebrows shot up in alarm. "Gone?!"  
  
"She ran away. Almost three weeks ago. My grandmother has no idea where she is, but seems to believe she's safe. In fact, she seems to be more angry at me."  
  
"Oh, Calixta." Miakoda longed to reach out to her friend, but she knew Calixta would not welcome it. Never a very demonstrative person, Calixta Solaris tended to retreat even further into herself when upset. Although Miakoda didn't think this was very good for Calixta, she knew she had to let the younger woman do things her own way.  
  
Calixta's arms pulled tighter around her blue sweater. "I haven't seen my sister in almost five years, and now I don't even know where she is."  
  
She stood and began pacing. "I realize you want me to come to the Christmas Festival, Miakoda, but the truth is, I don't like Christmas. I don't like this time of year." She stopped pacing and looked at the floor. "It's supposed to be a season of joy, but I haven't felt joyful during Christmas for years."  
  
Miakoda stood and crossed the space between them to place a reassuring hand on Calixta's arm. "Joy isn't necessarily about happy feelings. It has more to do with faith, and being content no matter what the circumstances."  
  
Calixta jerked away. "Well I'm not content! It's all I can do to keep from breaking down every year. I don't want a lot—but it would be nice to see my family again." One treacherous tear gathered on her lashes. "I'm just tired of being alone."  
  
"Calixta, God doesn't want you to be alone."  
  
"Well, He's sure not doing anything about it! I've been praying for years that I would get to see my father and sister again, and I've been looking for them, and if God really didn't want me to be alone, it wouldn't be so hard for him to do something about it, right?"  
  
"Calixta." Miakoda walked back to her chair and beckoned her.  
  
Calixta hesitated for a moment, and then took the seat across from the Navajo woman.  
  
"This news about your sister is bewildering, even to me. I can't imagine how you are feeling. But you can't believe you will always be alone." Miakoda's eyes softened. "We can never see it, but sometimes the darkest times in our lives lead us to the greatest things God has for us."  
  
------  
  
-- San Diego Highway, December-1-2024  
  
The empty desert rolled outside the window. Willow's hands shook as she opened the packaged burrito she had bought with a few pesos found on the last bus. One meal a day wasn't enough anymore. She felt as though she was always hungry.  
  
Her hands gave a violent twitch and the package fell to the floor. She bent to pick it up, but the woman sitting next to her reached it first.  
  
"You okay, honey?" the woman asked, and handed the food back to her, bracelets clinking.  
  
Willow's eyes squeezed shut, fighting to regain control over her withdrawal- wracked body. Willing her hands to still and her racing mind to quiet, she ripped the package open. "Fine. Thank you."  
  
The English words came with some difficulty. Not because she didn't remember, but because she remembered too much. She hadn't spoken English since him.  
  
"Okay." The woman nodded, but the pity in her eyes brought an angry lump to Willow's throat. "Are you going home?" the woman asked, turning toward her.  
  
Como? Willow started. "Ahh...no. No." (Not home...)  
  
"You're visiting Los Angeles then? Alone?" The woman clicked her tongue. "A pretty young thing like you? Nah. You shouldn't be traveling alone. Now, when you've been through as many husbands as I have...then you can travel alone!" The woman chuckled, obviously pleased with her "joke." She patted Willow's hand.  
  
Willow flinched away, turning to the window, her arm across her stomach, staring at the bleakness outside.  
  
She wished she knew where she was going. But all she knew was that she was leaving.  
  
Her foreigner had told her to leave. Before he left, he made her promise to get out. To get away from her pimp, to get out of Baja. She'd told him she would, to make him feel better, but she hadn't meant it. She didn't have the courage to leave then.  
  
But now...she had no choice. Everything had changed.  
  
------  
  
-- New York: ECC Headquarters, Monday, December-19-2035  
  
"So what happened when you reached L.A.?" Calixta twisted a napkin absently in her hand.  
  
For a moment, Miakoda said nothing. She stared into the empty mug she held in her hands as though looking into the past itself. "Too much," she said finally. "Eventually I broke down, and I had a heroin relapse. I got involved with my supplier. I told myself I was doing better because I wasn't a prostitute, but in reality, I was still selling myself.  
  
"When he got tired of me, a normal break-up wasn't possible. I knew too much about him, and I was too unpredictable, erratic. He'd been in the business long enough to know that an addict cut off from their supply can be capable of anything. So on a business run between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, he left me on the side of the road in the middle of the Mojave Desert."  
  
"Bastard," Calixta muttered.  
  
"Perhaps." Miakoda gave a wan smile. "Nevertheless, I am very thankful for his cruelty. Being kicked out of that car changed my life. That night I hit 'rock bottom,' as they say. When that happens, something inside you changes. You are suddenly able to see things you could never see before. It can drive a person crazy, or bring them to a point of such intense sanity that they break under the pressure. Me, I had a vision."  
  
"A vision?" Calixta knew her psychic friend sometimes sensed things the rest of them could not, but she had never heard her speak of visions. Dreams, yes. Often, Miakoda would talk about dreams, how they were important, how they held significance. "You mean like a dream?"  
  
"Not exactly. It was quite unlike anything I'd experienced before or have experienced since. Many would say it was simply a hallucination brought on by withdrawal, but I know the truth of it. I came face to face with my spirit guide that night...my mother's spirit in the form of an owl. She led me to Hope."  
  
Calixta nodded, recognizing the name of the small town in Nevada. Miakoda often spoke of it. "That's where you met Catharina Littlefoot, right?"  
  
"Yes. Catharina helped me gain back my self-respect, and taught me that God is the god of all peoples...that the Christian God and the Great Spirit are not mutually incompatible...and regardless of what name we use, God is the God of those that are lost...and those that are alone."  
  
A pale smile flitted across Calixta's face. "Thank you," she said softly.  
  
Miakoda nodded almost imperceptibly in acknowledgement, and then stood to clear the mugs in preparation for the arrival of the rest of ECC. "Calixta, I actually don't have any plans for Christmas Day at the moment, either. Would you like to-"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Miakoda just smiled.  
  
------  
  
-- New York: Children of God Non-Denominational Fellowship Building, December-23-2035  
  
A rousing classical rendition of Joy To the World played over an outdated stereo system as Miakoda made her way across the packed common room, precariously holding two glasses of eggnog over the heads of running children and little old ladies. She smiled, glancing toward Adara, who was having an animated conversation with one of the community matrons about the best place to go Christmas shopping. Calixta was standing next to them, munching on a piece of gingerbread and looking very amused.  
  
"She shouldn't have gotten Adara started on shopping." Richard Price III, Adara's boyfriend, grinned as he came up behind Miakoda. "We might be here all night." He smiled at Miakoda disarmingly. "How are you, Miakoda?"  
  
"I—I'm well, thank you Richard." Miakoda returned the smile. She looked down at her hands, still holding the glasses inanely. "Eggnog?" she offered suddenly.  
  
"Thanks." Richard took the drink. "It's been a while since I've seen you. You and Adara don't hang out as much as you used to."  
  
"Yes, well, since Adara became field commander, she's had a lot more work to do." Miakoda laughed a bit nervously. "But I'm sure you know that. We've all been busier, really." She lowered her voice just perceptibly. "Lucifer Hawk attacks are becoming more frequent."  
  
Richard leaned toward her conspiratorially. "So Adara tells me," he responded, his voice also lowering. "Listen, Miakoda, do you feel like you can't socialize with Adara and me anymore because she outranks you now? Because you have to know that she doesn't want that."  
  
Miakoda gave a small smile. "Don't worry. ECC is a very close unit. I don't think any of us feels those kinds of inhibitions."  
  
"Good. And not just for Adara. You know I consider you a friend as well, and I want to make sure we stay that way." He grinned and patted her lightly on the arm. "I'd better get back to boyfriend duty. I'll talk to you later."  
  
Miakoda nodded, and watched him return to Adara's side. He wrapped one arm around her and Adara reached a hand up to easily thread her fingers through his, not even pausing in her conversation. They fit so well together, Miakoda thought with a bittersweet sigh.  
  
The jangle of the sleigh bells hung over the door caught her attention. She turned to see Amber Ramirez walk through the door, scanning the crowd in an agitated manner.  
  
"Amber! Feliz Navidad!" Miakoda shouted slightly over the noise of the crowd. The two women made their way across the crowd toward each other.  
  
"Thanks, Miakoda." Amber hugged the psychic briefly. She pulled back, and Miakoda noticed tear tracks staining the younger woman's cheeks. "But...do you have some time? I need to ask you something."  
  
"Of course. What's wrong?" Miakoda said, with a concerned voice.  
  
"Can—" Amber looked around. "Can we go someplace quieter?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Miakoda led Amber to a side door and they exited onto a small covered porch. Miakoda set her eggnog down on a railing, and turned to her coworker. "What is it?"  
  
Amber looked across the parking lot at the blinking street lights for a moment, then turned back. "Calixta said you and she are spending Christmas together. Could I join you?" she said quickly.  
  
"But you said you always spend Christmas with your family!" Miakoda was taken slightly off-guard by the question. "You love Christmas with them."  
  
Amber's face darkened slightly. "I don't think I can handle it right now. I'm too angry with him."  
  
"Him?"  
  
Amber folded her arms and looked at the floor. "My father." She took a deep breath. "I went to the hospital to interview a woman who was injured at the Nordic Alliance protest rally, and...and I ran into my father. He was...he was there as a patient, Miakoda!" Amber voice fairly shook with emotion. Miakoda wasn't sure if it was anger or sadness. "He's...he's been having chemotherapy. For over a month!" Amber looked up and gestured wildly. "Over a month! And he didn't tell me anything!"  
  
Miakoda said nothing, waiting for Amber to say more.  
  
"How could he keep something like that from the whole family? Mami is the only one who knew anything, and he made her promise not to tell. I'm just so...so..." Amber looked up Miakoda, her eyes full of helplessness. "...angry with him," she finished lamely.  
  
Miakoda felt a slight tug at her consciousness. "It's more than that, isn't it?"  
  
Amber sighed deeply. "This isn't the first time he's kept things from me. Important things." She tapped her fist against her chest. "Things I should know.  
  
"When I was in high school," Amber continued, "someone gave me this crystal. I don't know who it was, but I know my father suspects who. Someone had talked to him about me, about my powers, a long time ago. It's possible there are other truthsayers, other people like me, out there. But I will never know, because my father would not let them speak to me, and he didn't even tell me about them. The only reason I know as much as I do, is because...because..." Amber's face flushed. "Because he lied to me. My father lied to me."  
  
"Amber," Miakoda took a deep breath. "You have to forgive him."  
  
Amber blinked. "I don't know if I can right now."  
  
"I know the truth is important to you," Miakoda continued. "But you love your father. And he needs you to love him. Especially now." Miakoda looked upwards at the stars, barely visible through the streetlights. "I know your father doesn't want to lose you. Family is a precious thing," she whispered.  
  
Amber's brow furrowed slightly as she looked at Miakoda. It was as though something hovered around her words, something that seemed to chill the air. Amber touched her necklace without thinking, but found it warm.  
  
"Spend Christmas with your family, Amber," Miakoda said, and opened the door, allowing warmth and music to spill out. "Remember," she said, touching the small gold crucifix pinned to Amber's coat lapel, "forgiveness is the most precious gift."  
  
------  
  
-- New York: Central Park, December-26-2035  
  
The scent of fresh pine was sharp on the breeze, mingling with the energetic shrieks of the children on the playground. Miakoda smiled wanly, watching them. She settled onto the bench, stuffed a newly-filled prescription bottle to the bottom of her bag, and pulled a pen and journal out.  
  
As she did so, a flash of red hair caught her eye. A little girl stood at the top of the slide, her grin wide and her cheeks glowing like her blazing hair.  
  
"Watch me, Mommy! Watch me!" the girl trilled.  
  
A dark cloud passed over Miakoda's eyes. Her pen sagged, lifeless in her hand.  
  
Even though she had counseled Amber to always forgive, and to forgive completely, Miakoda knew that there was someone she had not forgiven.  
  
The wind gusted, and the girl slid down the slide, her innocent laughter echoing in a long-empty hole in Miakoda's heart.  
  
While it was one thing to forgive someone else, it was another thing entirely to forgive yourself.  
  
-------------------------------------- Next Episode Preview:  
  
Maris Lynn: "I'm just minding my own business when these damn feds from New York ask me to help them kill some Lucifer Hawks! So these overpaid pansies think they know more than I do? I'll show them how you kick monster ass!"  
  
Next Episode: Liquid Assets 


	6. Liquid Assets

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny  
  
Book 1: New York  
  
Chapter 6: Liquid Assets  
  
Authors: OSTOCOM  
  
E-mail and Website: See our profile  
  
Rating: PG-13, bordering R for language  
  
Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See Authors' Notes for complete disclaimer.  
  
---------------------------------------------  
  
"Do you have a self-made video collection?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Four points. Do you write fanfic at least once a month?"  
  
"I used to. Are we counting now or then?"  
  
"Hmm...let's say then."  
  
"Okay, another four points. Have you ever written smut completely lacking in plot?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh come on! You are so lying!" Amber threw up her hands and gave Miakoda a glare. The psychic quickly turned her gaze away from Amber.  
  
"Then somebody else give me this quiz. Honestly, I didn't think they'd ask questions like that! Where'd you get this, anyway?" Miakoda asked, hoping that her dark skin would hide the blush burning across her cheeks.  
  
"Calixta recommended it to me." Amber nodded in Calixta's direction. "Some website that lists all kinds of quizzes to gauge your different obsessions. So if you're going to blame somebody, don't blame me!"  
  
"Or me," Calixta quickly added. "I only gave it to her because she asked."  
  
Adara just shook her head at the entire incident. She couldn't even imagine what she would say if Mackenzie walked in and found them lounging around, eating take-out Chinese and quizzing Miakoda on her X-Files obsession.  
  
That is, until Mackenzie actually did walk in.  
  
The four ECC members quickly straightened themselves up to at least appear like they were doing something useful. If Mackenzie suspected that they were being unproductive, she chose not to say anything about it. "Break's over, people. We just got a call from a small town in Maine. Apparently several people have reported seeing 'huge monsters' out on this island a few miles from the mainland. I know this is out of our way, but we're taking the assignment. It's better that we take care of this now than have the local authority try to keep it under control and end up leaving us with their fiasco."  
  
"No problem," Adara said. "Is the 'Aurora' ready for launching?"  
  
Mackenzie hesitated. "I'm afraid you'll only be able to use the STAV to get to Maine. From there, you'll have to use ground transportation. The conditions on the coast right now are poor. I've already arranged for a sea vessel to take you out to the island. You'll rendezvous with the captain in about three hours at a dock in Rockport."  
  
"Sea vessel? You mean the Coast Guard's taking us there?" Calixta's uncertainly spoke for the entire group.  
  
"Actually, I would rather not involve the Coast Guard in this. We have enough trouble with the local PD here without involving another department entirely. I had to do a bit of quick research, but there's a civilian vessel that's gained a good reputation with the Coast Guard for its reliability. That will be your transportation to the island." Mackenzie turned to leave the office. "I suggest you all bring some warm clothing."  
  
After Mackenzie exited, everyone else looked at Adara. "Lucifer Hawk sightings in Maine? We've never had a report outside of the city. Don't you think that's odd?" Amber asked.  
  
"It's certainly the first time I've heard of it," Adara said, getting up from her desk. "But if they are out there in a less populated area, it can only be a bad sign...it means they're getting more numerous."  
  
"Then I say we go check this out," Miakoda said. "Mackenzie is right. The sooner we deal with this, the better off we are."  
  
Everyone looked at her nervously. Until then, they had tacitly assumed that the Hawks preferred the cities and would only attack there, since there were a lot more people and a lot more places to hide. More importantly, they were used to fighting Lucifer Hawks in urban surroundings and weren't even sure if they had the equipment or the knowledge to do battle in a more open setting. However, no one was going to debate Mackenzie's orders, so they prepared to leave for Maine.  
  
------  
  
"We're getting to Damariscove Island on that?" Calixta said incredulously. "I've seen more seaworthy bath toys!"  
  
"Well, Mackenzie said this boat is supposedly very reliable, so that must mean it can get through weather like this easier than other boats," Amber said.  
  
"I still don't see why we couldn't take the STAV..." Calixta said with a disappointed glance at the cloudy sky.  
  
"You want to try and find a place to land on that island, be my guest," Adara said. "You heard what the Chief said...this place is too remote for one of our transports to fly or land safely."  
  
The members of the ECC stood awkwardly on the dock, looking up at the lobster fishing boat that was to be their transportation to the island. The name 'Nauticus' was stencilled in bold white letters on the side. None of them had actually been on a real fishing boat before, and they were not looking forward to the experience.  
  
There was a heavy silence before the captain of the humble craft finally stepped out. She was a woman in her early twenties, with sea-blue eyes and long, blonde hair pulled back in a wind-whipped ponytail. She was fairly tall, with a slim, muscular build, and had the weathered look of someone who had spent most of her life outdoors. She scanned the ECC quickly and narrowed her eyes in a look of annoyance.  
  
"So...you're the crew of landlubbers I'm supposed to haul over to Damariscove Island."  
  
"That's us," Miakoda replied.  
  
The captain scoffed. "What's with the uniforms? You in some kind of band?"  
  
"We're the ECC," Adara flashed her badge, as did all the others. "We're a branch of the Department of Agriculture."  
  
"Department of Agriculture?! What the fuck does ECC stand for, then?"  
  
The crew could see that there would be no keeping this woman out of their business. "It stands for Equine Cleanup and Control."  
  
The captain seemed on the verge of laughter, but she stopped herself. "So this is where my tax dollars go. Picking up horseshit."  
  
Adara nearly laughed herself. "Yeah, that pretty much pegs it."  
  
"Well, at least you damn feds are finally coming clean with what you're up to—pardon the pun." She clambered over the edge of the boat's railing and landed in front of them. "My name's Maris Lynn. I'll be your captain for this little three-hour tour, which basically means you shut up and do whatever I tell you. The sea's a monster in more ways than one, and the last thing I need's a drowned government employee on my hands."  
  
Most of the women expressed a little annoyance at the suggestion that they were incapable. But none of the said anything, and one by one boarded 'Nauticus'.  
  
Miakoda scanned the deck, her face full of concern. "Don't you have any life jackets?"  
  
Maris, who had been busy tightening some ropes, stopped and blinked a few times. "Life jackets?"  
  
"Yeah. You know, those things that keep you from drowning?"  
  
"I almost never take passengers," Maris stated simply before quickly stepping off to straighten something else.  
  
"That...doesn't answer my question..."  
  
"It's about two and a half hours to the island, so I suggest you get yourselves comfortable. Of course, that probably won't be easy."  
  
The team members each found a bench or other hard surface to sit on, and tried to hide their discomfort. The entire ship reeked of salt and brine and pungent fish...very different from the clean office building they were used to.  
  
"All hands on deck?" Maris bellowed as she released the ropes that bound the ship to the dock. "Say goodbye to your precious dry land, gals!"  
  
In the back, someone quietly muttered, "Goodbye."  
  
'Nauticus' charged forward into the foreboding fog as if powered by reckless energy. For the longest time, no one said anything...it was impossible to tell where they were or how long they had travelled. They let Maris do all of the work guiding the ship, since she was apparently very good at it. But after a while, they had noticed that she had stopped and was now staring at them with something between suspicion and amusement.  
  
"You really have no idea what you're doing, do you?"  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Amber responded indignantly.  
  
"Let me guess...you were told by your superior officer that you needed to come to this island to do work or whatever."  
  
"Why else would we be going?" Calixta responded.  
  
Maris laughed. "You're the 'Equine Cleanup and Control,' right? Well, I hate to tell you this, but there ain't no equine on Damariscove Island. Never have been, never will be. How are you supposed to pick up horseshit if there ain't no horses to shit?"  
  
A very nervous silence followed. Knowing there was no way they could answer the question, Amber posed one of her own. "If you knew there were no horses on the island, why did you load us up and start taking us there in the first place?"  
  
"Because..." Maris attempted to hold back bursts of laughter. "I get a kick out of seeing just how damn stupid you government folks really are!"  
  
Most of the members squirmed in their seats as Maris guffawed annoyingly at their expense. "Don't worry about it, I'll take you guys back," Maris said, reaching for the wheel. "I know a place we can get some clam chowder to die for, and laugh this whole thing off."  
  
"Ahh, that won't be necessary..." Adara warned as Maris started to turn the ship around. "We still need to go to the island—"  
  
Adara was interrupted by a very loud THUMP from below, which caused the ship to rock violently. All of the members quickly found something to grab onto as a second THUMP rattled the craft again. Maris rushed to the edge and glared down into the angry waves. "Dammit! Not now, you fucking bastards!"  
  
"What's going on?" The women of ECC, curious about what happening below, left their positions and also looked over the railing. A flash of black and blue skin appeared beneath the water, and an unfortunately familiar build...  
  
"A Lucifer Hawk!" Calixta cried out.  
  
"They can live in the water?" Amber asked.  
  
"How are we supposed to fight a water Lucifer Hawk?!" Miakoda yelled.  
  
The Hawk reared up to its full height, which was nearly as tall as the boat itself. If it was a Category Two, it didn't waste time talking to them, but launched into an attack. The boat nearly capsized as the Hawk forced a wall of water over the unlucky passengers.  
  
Miakoda tried to start a spell, but the rolling deck kept breaking her concentration. Adara tossed a quick fireball at the enemy, but the ever- present seawater rendered her attack ineffective. Calixta and Amber pulled out their guns and attempted to fire at the Hawk, but could never get a clear enough shot with the boat's wake. The Hawk sensed that its opponents were weak and unprepared, and it began to launch an attack that would certainly overturn the boat. And just as the Lucifer Hawk reared back, Maris leapt overboard.  
  
"Where the hell is she going?!" Amber cried.  
  
"The same place we are in just a minute!" Calixta said, holding on tight to the boat's railing.  
  
Just as the Hawk charged forward, a loud voice resonated from below. The Lucifer Hawk also heard, and stared down at the water.  
  
"Nauticus, come to me!"  
  
Maris was down in the waves, having no problem swimming. She pulled her hand out of the water...and in her grasp was a sword. The blade was long and silver-blue, and seemed to be made of liquid itself. The Lucifer Hawk saw Maris and the sword, and swam back in apprehension.  
  
"Why can't you bastards ever learn your LESSON!" Maris roared, and swung the sword with incredible force at the Hawk. One of its limbs disintegrated on contact with the blade, and it howled in anger. It now turned its full attention to Maris, and swung its tail at her. Maris disappeared beneath the waves just before the strike, and it slammed against the side of the boat, rocking the occupants harshly.  
  
The Hawk waited for Maris to surface again. And waited. And waited. Still, nothing happened. As the seconds crawled by, it began to dawn on both the Lucifer Hawk and the ECC that the captain had drowned.  
  
That is, until a long flash of silver shot through the waves directly beneath the Hawk's neck. The creature wailed as the sword cut through again, this time across its belly, sending water and foam everywhere. The water Lucifer Hawk sank, disintegrated, and was gone.  
  
Nobody said a word as Maris found a rope and clambered back onto the deck. She groaned, shook the water out of her hair, and attempted to wring out her clothes while still holding the liquid sword. She stopped as she noticed the entire ECC staring at her with eyes wide and jaws gaping.  
  
"Do you want a job?"  
  
Adara gave Amber a hard jab in the ribs. "Um, what we mean to say is...that was some pretty impressive, er...fighting that you did back there."  
  
"Okay, just forget that ever happened," Maris said with a dangerous glare. "This is why I never take passengers, 'cause those damn things come and then everyone freaks out..."  
  
"Oh don't worry, we're used to this sort of thing," Amber explained, resulting in another rib jab from Adara.  
  
Maris narrowed her eyes in suspicion once again. "Used to being attacked by those bastard monsters, eh? What, do you clean up their shit, too?"  
  
"You could say that..." Amber said, this time dodging the jab from Adara.  
  
"All right..." Maris pointed the huge sword at them warningly. "I am turning this thing around, and you damn feds are going to be straight with me for once!" She let go of the sword, which then proceeded to liquefy and then evaporate into thin air.  
  
"All right, but only if you come clean with us as well," Miakoda said. "I may not know much about boats and fishing, but I know that most lobster boat captains don't go around wielding magic swords or fighting Lucifer Hawks."  
  
"Oh, so that's what they're called?" Maris laughed. "I just called them 'Those Damn Bastards.' Fine, then. I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours. Over clam chowder, of course...can't have stories without clam chowder."  
  
"If it involves food, I'm there!" Amber said.  
  
"Before we do any eating, we should at least get to the island like we were supposed to," Adara reminded them. "There were several reports of Lucifer Hawk activity there..."  
  
"I know that island real well. Those Damn...Hawks, whatever you call them, pop up along the shoreline often. But judging from the way you guys dealt with this one, I wouldn't recommend going to the island now. Are all your sting operations this shitty?"  
  
Calixta glared. "We just hadn't seen one in the water. Most of them are spotted on land."  
  
"In any case, let's discuss this off the water. This is bad sailing weather, and I personally want to get dried off," Maris said, giving the wheel a sharp turn. The lobster boat obeyed her command and slowly turned about-face, heading back towards the mainland.  
  
------  
  
Before long, the ECC were seated at a worn wooden bar, watching a frizzled old New England woman give them the same annoyed look Maris had first given them. A few of them squirmed uncomfortably in their seats.  
  
"You folks from the government?" the bartender drawled.  
  
"They're with me," Maris called out. She emerged from the bathroom, rubbing her hair down with a towel. "We need clam chowder and ale for the five of us."  
  
"Er, water as well," Miakoda quickly added.  
  
"Thought you couldn't stand politicians, Maris," the bartender said.  
  
"They ain't politicians, they're feds," Maris commented. "They fight crime and poke their nose in other people's shit, y'know."  
  
"Did somebody get murdered or somethin'?"  
  
"No, hon, nothing like that. Don't worry about it. Just go get us some grub...oh, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't listen in on us. You know, it's government talk; all very hush-hush and whatever."  
  
The bartender raised her eyebrows in surprise...apparently this was a rare request from Maris. She then disappeared into the kitchen.  
  
"Now, remind me of all your guys' names again," Maris said.  
  
"I'm Adara; I'm the field commander. This is Amber, Calixta and Miakoda," Adara said, pointing to each person in turn. "And our Chief back at headquarters is Mackenzie."  
  
"All women, eh?" Maris said. "I'd have to say, concerning the American government, that's a first."  
  
"The ECC is exclusively women," Calixta said with pride. "You expect a man to be able to handle something like a Lucifer Hawk?"  
  
"Good point," Maris grinned. "Although women or not, it takes more than just brains to kill one of those things. What exactly is the government equipping you with?"  
  
"To tell you the truth, about the only thing the government's handing over is our pay checks," Miakoda said. "All of the firepower depends on us."  
  
Maris gave them a quizzical look at that statement.  
  
"Let me just put it this way...nobody 'normal' could be in the ECC," Adara said.  
  
Maris raised her hand. "Hi! I'm Maris, and I'm a freak!" she said mockingly.  
  
Now just about all of the ECC glared at her. "I don't think 'freak' is the exact term for us," Miakoda responded.  
  
"Relax, I'm just kiddin' ya," Maris said, raising her hands in defense. "I mean it in the best possible way. Besides, even if I did mean it the wrong way, I'd only be calling myself the same thing."  
  
"Have you been fighting Lucifer Hawks for a while?" Amber asked, trying to change the subject.  
  
"For about five years," Maris said. "Since I first encountered one...off the coast of that island, actually."  
  
"Where did you get that sword?" Miakoda asked. "I've never seen a sword like that before."  
  
"I didn't find Nauticus...he found me," Maris said with a small smile. "He is wherever there is water. I first found him when I saw my first Lucifer Hawk along the shoreline. I know I couldn't have beaten it if Nauticus hadn't been there. He's been my best friend these past five years..."  
  
"What did you mean by, 'he is wherever there is water'?" Miakoda asked as the bartender returned with their clam chowder and ale.  
  
"So glad you asked." Maris grinned. She walked over to Miakoda and grabbed her pitcher of water. "Mind if I borrow this for minute?"  
  
Miakoda watched, horrified, as Maris suddenly thrust her hand into the pitcher of water. She shouted, "Nauticus, come to me!" in the same way as when she had fought the Lucifer Hawk. When she pulled her hand back out again, the same enormous silver sword grew out of the pitcher until it was fully formed in her hand.  
  
/There aren't any of those creatures here, are there?/ A deep male voice said close to Maris. It took everyone a few seconds to realize it had come from Nauticus.  
  
"No...I just wanted to show you off to all my new friends, here. They fight monsters, too."  
  
/I'm flattered, Ms. Lynn./  
  
The bartender, who had just given them their food, gave a warning glance to Maris. "Maris dear, how many times do I have to tell you not to bring out Nauticus indoors?"  
  
"Relax hon, it's just for a little bit." Maris grinned cheekily. She turned back to the ECC. "I keep telling Nauticus to call me Maris, but he insists on Ms. Lynn. If only all men were this polite."  
  
Everyone generally nodded, although Miakoda just stared into her water and decided that she wasn't really that thirsty anymore.  
  
"He's incredibly light, but incredibly strong," Maris continued. "I thought perhaps I had a knack for sword fighting and tried to use different swords, but they didn't work. Everything else is so unwieldy! Besides, how many other swords can carry on a conversation with you?"  
  
"Actually, he reminds me of Katsumi's sword Grosspoliner," Adara mentioned. "He could talk, too."  
  
"One of our associates in Tokyo," Calixta informed Maris.  
  
"Hmm...it seems we'll have to meet him sometime, then," Maris told Nauticus. She then let go of Nauticus, and the sword again evaporated into nothing. "As much as I do enjoy kicking the asses of Those Damn Hawks, lobster fishing is my first love. I grew up in the industry...part of the family business."  
  
"Hmm...and how does your family feel about your hobby of Lucifer Hawk slaying?" Amber asked.  
  
"Family..." Maris's bright tone suddenly turned rather dark. "Nauticus is about the only family I have now."  
  
The lobster boat captain decided that now would be a good time to dig into her clam chowder. She took a few bites and a swig of her ale before starting into her story, which she knew everyone was now expecting.  
  
"I haven't seen my family since I was seventeen. We were on a routine fishing trip off the coast of Rockport. We got caught in a really bad freak storm...caught us completely by surprise. It was my family and my best friend's family on our little fishing boat, and the nine of us together couldn't get the sail down or the nets up. This is saying something, since all nine people were born and bred seadogs. Anyway, I was helping hoist up some netting on the starboard side, and this bastard wave comes clear over the deck and sends me overboard. Now, normally I would've popped back up like a cork, but I must've hit my head on a rock or somethin', 'cause I remember a shitload of water and nothing else.  
  
"When I woke up again, I couldn't hear anything but water. I opened my eyes, and saw the surface about, oh, 30 feet above me. Yup, I'm on the ocean floor. I'm thinking, 'How the hell can I still be thinking?' But I could breathe just fine...water's just a lot heavier than air. So here I am, a seventeen-year-old girl, sittin' at the bottom of the ocean and just chillin'. I finally start thinking, 'Hey, maybe the family's worried about me.' So I make my way up to the surface, only to see there's no boat in sight...no storm, even. I'm thinking, 'Well then, I guess I'll try and find my way back to shore.' So I go the direction I remember land being in and follow the ocean bottom until I hit shoreline. I'm feeling pretty damn good about myself, except for the fact that I have salt in my eyes and hair and I smell like fish.  
  
"I don't know why I was not expecting my family to freak out. I guess I thought they had always known I could breathe underwater, and were going to tell me when I was eighteen because it was, you know, that kind of thing. So anyway, I come strollin' into the house like there's no such thing as shit, and my mom drops this halibut casserole on my little sister...turns out she was taking it to my funeral. The entire family started freaking out; started yelling about ghosts and stuff. When they finally calmed down enough I explained what had happened. I figured they could handle it...I'd only been underwater for about three days. Nope...they came up with this idea that I was a mermaid, or sea nymph or shit like that, and freaked out even more. My entire childhood hometown is really superstitious, you understand. For a while, I almost thought I was a mermaid myself. As far as my parents were concerned, they weren't going to let any trickster sea nymph pretend to be their daughter...they kicked me out of the house. Didn't let me take anything. Didn't..." Maris stopped. She sucked in her breath suddenly, and her face appeared more pained than usual.  
  
She continued, "I went around to my friends' and neighbors' houses to try and find a place to stay, but I just got the same response. When one of my neighbors...I think we called him Mr. Nibbles for some odd reason...asked if I would give myself over to the government for research, I gave up. I left the town...walked for several days until I hit the next town.  
  
"My life has pretty much been that way ever since...moving from town to town along the coast. I got work wherever and whenever I could. I've learned not to tell my story to too many people...the gal who runs this place and maybe two other people know."  
  
"You must trust us quite a bit to have told us all this, then," Adara commented.  
  
Maris laughed somewhat. "Well, at least you didn't freak when Nauticus or one of Those Damn Bastards showed up, so I figured it would be okay."  
  
"You haven't tried to contact your family at all?" Amber asked.  
  
"No. What the fuck would I say? 'Hi Mom, it's your daughter from five years ago. Guess what! I can still breathe underwater, only now I also own a magic sword I can talk to and I fight giant sea monsters in my spare time. How have you been?...' No, I really don't think it would work out." She paused to take another bite of her clam chowder. "I do wonder how they're doing, though..."  
  
There were a few moments of somber silence. Most of the members there had lost parents or other family members, and they sympathized with the young fisherwoman.  
  
"So, that's pretty much my story," Maris said as she finished her clam chowder. "Not much of a conclusion, though...I still don't know how I can breathe underwater or why Nauticus found me in the first place. Obviously I don't have a very happy story; I'm sure your guys' stories are friendlier than mine."  
  
"Want to bet?" Calixta snickered under her breath.  
  
"All right, it's your turn to spill guts here," Maris stated. "Since when did the government start having branches associated with fighting giant monsters?"  
  
"Since Mulder and Scully," Miakoda said with a deadpan serious expression. A round of odd stares from the rest of the group caused her grin a bit and add a quick "Sorry."  
  
Adara did a quick glance around the room to make sure nobody was listening, then leaned in closer to Maris. "I'll give you a small idea on who we are and what we do on one condition: you must never breathe a word of it to anyone else for any reason. I'm not going to tell you the whole story, because this is extremely dangerous information, and if it were to get out into the general public, there would be nothing less than mass panic. I believe you can handle this information, but I know that everyone else can't. Will you promise not to tell anyone?"  
  
"You have the word of a lobster boat fishing captain," Maris said with a grin. "You don't know how lucky you are."  
  
Adara gave a sideways glance to Amber, who was sitting nearby. Amber stared at Maris for a moment and then gave a nod of approval. Whether or not Maris actually kept her promise, she at least had every intention of trying.  
  
"Well, you know about the Silent Crisis, right?" Adara began.  
  
"Who the hell doesn't?"  
  
"The Lucifer Hawk are somehow a result of that. Since the Silent Crisis, they have shown up in increasingly greater numbers. They feed almost exclusively on humans. To our knowledge there are three different types, two of which we can communicate with. They vary in size and strength, from the pitifully weak to the unbelievably strong.  
  
"Each of us has a special skill that contributes to fighting Lucifer Hawks," Adara continued. "Calixta Solaris is a master of computers and holoprograms. Miakoda Nakai is a psychic. Amber Ramirez is a truthsayer. And I..." Adara brought up a tiny flame in the palm of her hand, "...like to play with fire."  
  
"Very interesting," Maris said, staring at the flame, "that such unusual people should all be gathered together in one place fighting for the same thing."  
  
"Well, that's another story entirely," Adara said, extinguishing the flame in her fist.  
  
"Now you've gone and piqued my curiosity," Maris scolded. "I've seen strange people come in here with even stranger stories, but I'd have to say that a group of feds that fight inter-dimensional monsters takes the cake. It's a shame I can't share it with other people."  
  
"You may not be able to share it...but you could perhaps be a part of it," Amber said.  
  
Maris blinked once or twice. "What are you saying? That I leave lobster fishing and join the superhero team? Make Lucifer Hawk fighting my job?"  
  
"You get a government salary! And a great dental and retirement plan!" Amber added.  
  
"If you live to retire..." Calixta mumbled under her breath.  
  
"Why are you so desperate to recruit her?" Miakoda whispered to Amber.  
  
"I like her. She's honest, and she knows good food!" Amber smiled. "And I think the Chief would be more than happy to have a fifth person."  
  
"You realize that you're asking quite a lot here," Maris said incredulously. "I like kicking the asses of those Lucifer Bastards as much as the next gal. But I believe I mentioned before that lobster fishing is my first love; and you're wanting me to work for the government...something I swore I'd never do."  
  
"We could really use your help," Amber interjected. "You said so yourself...there's no way we'd be able to fight water Lucifer Hawks with the tools we have now. You and Nauticus would be such a great asset on the battlefield."  
  
Before Maris could reply, Adara interrupted with a look at Amber. "Can I speak to you privately for a minute, Amber?"  
  
Amber nodded, suddenly looking worried that she had done something wrong. She and Adara walked off to a different table, and after an awkward moment, Miakoda and Calixta decided to join them. Maris watched them go incredulously, and hid her apprehensive frown behind her ale mug.  
  
"Amber, I understand you see the value in such strong offensive powers," Adara began, "but I really think you're being a bit too free with your information. We don't tell most other Navy officers what we do, much less civilians. And then to ask her to join this suddenly? Considering it's not really our place to make hiring decisions, I think it may come off as presumptuous to the Chief. Not to mention the fact that we know next to nothing about her background."  
  
"I would have to agree with Adara," Calixta added. "We just met her today. How do we know if she's really trustworthy? And yes, she's good at fighting Lucifer Hawks, but she could easily have connections to them that we don't know about."  
  
"Well, I can tell whether or not she's trustworthy," Amber retorted. "She hasn't lied to us once since we've met her, and that's more than I can say for most people I meet on the street. If there's anybody we should be hiring, it's people who can be honest with us."  
  
"Okay, so she's honest," Adara said. "That doesn't guarantee she'd make a good team-mate. You've heard her...she's so honest she's practically rude. And something like that may not be the best thing for ECC's image right now."  
  
"Since when have we ever cared about ECC's image?" Amber pointed out.  
  
"She does have a point there..." Miakoda sighed.  
  
"I just really think it would help to have more people fighting with us," Amber argued. "And you said so yourself, Adara...her water sword was similar to Katsumi's sword. Maybe that warrants some more investigation. It just doesn't seem right that we meet someone trustworthy who is already good at fighting Lucifer Hawks and then not do anything about it."  
  
Adara looked up at Miakoda and Calixta, who were all thinking over Amber's arguments. Finally, Adara sighed, and leaned back in her chair. "I'll tell you what...I'll give Mackenzie a call and explain the situation to her. Depending on what she says, then we'll make the offer to Maris. It's ultimately her decision."  
  
Amber bit her lip, then nodded in compliance. Adara pulled out her cell phone, which thankfully hadn't gotten soaked in the Hawk attack, and called ECC headquarters back home. Calixta turned to Amber. "And what will you do if Mackenzie says no but Maris says yes? We would have gone to all that trouble for nothing."  
  
"Well, I felt it was worth a shot," Amber responded. Calixta just sighed...while Amber's enthusiasm was helpful in many situations, there were times it could cause more problems than it solved. The three women turned to glance over at Maris...she was still watching them, but was apparently not happy with the fact that she wasn't being included in their conversation. Amber offered a small smile that she hoped read as 'we're almost done over here.'  
  
After a few more minutes, Adara hung up and turned back to them. "Well, Mackenzie is interested...she said that if Maris expresses interest, then she can come with us back home, take some basic training and see if she's right for ECC."  
  
The four ECC members returned to the bar where Maris was waiting. She had finished off her ale, and was looking rather impatient. "What, did you have to call the President and see if there is any government testing for sea nymphs available?"  
  
"No, of course not," Adara responded. "We were just getting the okay from our superior about you coming in for some basic training. That is, if you're willing to try it."  
  
For the first time ever, it looked like Maris didn't have anything to say. She looked carefully at the ECC, and then back at her empty bowl and mug. The group couldn't tell if she was just debating whether or not becoming a 'damn fed' was a good idea, or whether there was something really important that she was reluctant to leave behind. Finally, she asked, "This isn't one of those 'be one of us or we kill you' things, is it? I mean, I can join you guys for a month or something, and then quit if I decide I don't like how it's going?"  
  
"Well, technically it's possible..." Calixta sighed. "It's not like there's a secret law saying that you can't quit once you join. But the paperwork involved in a quick decision like that would make fighting Lucifer Hawks look like a vacation."  
  
Maris smirked. "So either way I look at it, I'm still screwed by the bureaucracy."  
  
"Yes, that part can be annoying," Adara said. "But I think I speak for everyone when I say that the satisfaction you get out of the job far outweighs the less glamorous parts. Obviously we can't make you join the ECC. If you've got some reason to stay here, then you should stay."  
  
Maris looked away again, but this time she smiled. "Why the fuck not?" She stood up decisively. "What the hell, I'll give this thing a shot. What kind of a sailor would I be if I wasn't willing to take risks?"  
  
Amber grinned in response, and the other three members looked on warily, but supportively. Whether or not this sometimes obnoxious seawoman would fare well in their company and environment, they all knew it was never a bad thing to have more people on their side. Adara shook hands with Maris. "If you want, we can go back to your place and you can pack up whatever you want. I'm sure we can find you a place to stay in New York."  
  
Maris raised her eyebrows. "New York? You mean big city, lots of skyscrapers, lots of people New York?"  
  
"No, we mean the little one with no skyscrapers or people," Calixta said. "Of course New York. Why?"  
  
"I've just...never been there," Maris mused. "I've always been along the coastline of Maine. I've never had the resources to go anywhere else. And besides, what good am I going to be able to do if there's no water for me to breathe in?"  
  
"I'd say you're plenty good with Nauticus in and out of the water," Amber pointed out. "All you need is some container of water to carry around with you, and you can fight in the city. You don't have to be on the coast all the time."  
  
"Well, this will certainly be a change of pace," Maris said thoughtfully. "You may have to show me how things work around the city...but only if I get to show you around whatever ports are there; 'cause you four desperately need some advice on how to handle those water Lucifer Bastards."  
  
"Fair enough." Adara shrugged. "Well, you don't have too much stuff at your house, do you? Because I'm assuming you'll want to be taking stuff from there and your boat, and there's only so much room in the STAV."  
  
"My boat is my house," Maris said. "Trust me, I don't live on much. It shouldn't be that hard to get a few basic things together. Although that government salary better be as good as it sounds, because I doubt I have the funds to shell out for an entirely new apartment in New York."  
  
"I'm sure we can all help pitch in," Miakoda suggested. Of course, when she said that, she, Amber and Calixta all looked pointedly at Adara, who pretended not to notice.  
  
The bartender returned, and Maris paid her for their meal. The ECC began to get packed up and ready to head back to Maris's boat so she could gather up some of her belongings. Adara shook her head in amazement...all in one day they had discovered that Lucifer Hawks could live in the water as well as on land, along with a rather foul-mouthed new member. (Here's hoping we're not making a big mistake...)  
  
------  
  
"I give her two weeks," Calixta announced to the ECC as Adara closed the file she was working on. "Do you honestly think she'll be able to last long in this sort of environment? Working for the government like this? We can all tell...she really belongs out on her boat."  
  
"It's not a matter of where she belongs, it's a matter of what she wants to be doing," Miakoda responded. "Besides, I'm not exactly all that easy with the government, either. And neither are you. But that's not stopping us, is it?"  
  
"Perhaps not...it's just a feeling I'm getting." Calixta waved it off.  
  
"Hey, that's my job," Miakoda said.  
  
The four of them looked up as Mackenzie entered the main office, with Maris behind her. Mackenzie had few problems with admitting a new member, but she made several thorough background checks on Maris out of both habit and necessity. She had been somewhat disappointed that they hadn't been able to make it out to the island, but understood the necessity of needing more information on the water Lucifer Hawks before they could fight them. If there was one thing that was good in new situations, it was some inside information.  
  
"I'd like to introduce you all to your new team-mate, Ensign Maris Lynn," Mackenzie announced to the group. "She's passed the introduction training, and has agreed to stay with us as an official member. However, she still needs at least two weeks' worth of formal police training before she can officially be a part of the group. I expect you all to help show her around the place and inform her of any policies and rules that she chooses to ignore in her acceptance forms." Behind her, Maris grunted something incomprehensible. It was clear that Mackenzie was forming her own impression of Maris right from the start. Miakoda, Adara, Amber and Calixta all nodded in obedience at Mackenzie's commanding look.  
  
"That'll be all for now. Keep up the good work," She turned on her heel and left to return to her private office, leaving Maris standing awkwardly in the middle of the common room.  
  
Maris inspected her new uniform somewhat dubiously, and was no doubt wishing she hadn't made the comment about band uniforms the day they met. She tugged at the sleeves uncomfortably with one hand, while holding an Evian water bottle in the other. "I'd figure if you guys were going to be doing something like killing Lucifer Hawks, you'd be doing it in more comfortable clothes."  
  
"You'll get used to it," Adara said simply. "Just wait until you see the dress uniforms."  
  
Calixta nodded at her particular choice of water bottle. "Evian, Maris? A little high-class for the rugged lobster fisherwoman, isn't it?"  
  
Maris just rolled her eyes. "Nauticus. He insists on Evian," she said flatly.  
  
The others tried desperately to hold back snorts of laughter, some better than others. Maris fumed. "Honestly! Just because we're in New York, he thinks he has to be all high-society or something. I keep telling him that water is water, and that he should know that better than anyone."  
  
"Well, welcome to the group!" Amber announced, figuring that she should say it if no one else was going to. "We need to celebrate your decision to work with us. We should go out to eat tonight. I know this great Mexican place on Fifth Avenue that serves these fish tacos to die for."  
  
"Fish tacos? I don't think so," Maris said simply. "Mexicans can do chicken just fine, I'll give them that, but the only good fish you're gonna get is from the North Atlantic. None of that 'Mahi-Mahi' shit or whatever. You want fish, I'll find you a place here in New York that serves real honest New England food."  
  
"Excuse me? I think I know a good fish taco when I see one, Ms. Lobster Fisherwoman. If you even think of joining these losers in their crusade to avoid my cooking..."  
  
"I ain't a part of any crusade. I'm just saying that New England seafood is the only seafood worth shelling out your money for. Anything else is just a waste of your time and salary."  
  
Calixta looked over at Adara unsteadily as Maris and Amber continued to argue back and forth, with Maris gesturing her point with the water bottle every now and then. "I know it's a good thing for us to have an extra member on the team, but are you sure it was a good idea for us to ask her to join?" Calixta asked quietly.  
  
Adara just looked back at the two newer members. With the way they were arguing, it was only a matter of time before they resorted to the basic 'New England!' 'Mexican!' 'New England!' 'Mexican!' banter. She sighed and shook her head. "Probably not. But it's not like bad ideas are all that uncommon around here."  
  
---------------------------------------------  
  
Next Episode Preview:  
  
Amber: "In the bitter cold of mid-February, our intrepid heroines face the greatest challenge of their careers: bad pick-up lines. Will they conquer this insurmountable obstacle and find true love? Will Maris learn to embrace her gentle, feminine side?"  
  
Tad (offscreen): "Ow! My arm!"  
  
Amber: "Okay...maybe not."  
  
Episode 7: 'Like Water for Chocolate Truffles.' 


	7. Like Water for Chocolate Truffles

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny

Book 1: New York

Chapter 7: Like Water for Chocolate Truffles

Authors: OSTOCOM

E-mail and Website: see our profile

Rating: PG-13, bordering on R for language

Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See Book 0 for complete disclaimer.

Thanks to: for the god-awful pick-up line.

Special thanks to our beta reader OPR-kun, who's managed to fit us in on top of all his graduate math courses. You're the best!

---------------------------------------------

Miakoda Nakai took in a deep breath of the aroma of the fresh coffee she was preparing, savoring the silence of the moment. It was 8:05 in the morning, meaning she had exactly five more minutes before the rest of her teammates arrived and the peace was shattered. Not that Miakoda minded their company at all. She just wished that the others would be a little less...rowdy, on occasion.

By 8:12 she had all of the coffee out and ready in their owners' respective mugs. It was then that she heard familiar voices outside the break room door:

"...so can you please try next time and get up early enough to get ready? I thought lobster fishermen were used to early hours," Adara's clear, strong voice said with a touch of annoyance.

"We're used to having our own hours is what we're used to. And besides, what's the big deal? We're only two minutes late."

"You'd be surprised what a difference two minutes can make sometimes..."

Amber, Adara, Calixta and Maris then entered the break room, some looking less alert than others. They were all used to Miakoda getting there earlier and making coffee, so they immediately grabbed their mugs. "Listen to Adara," Calixta said to Maris between sips. "The Chief's been raised in the military, where they think punctuality is next to godliness."

It had only been two weeks since Maris Lynn had joined them, and she was already fitting in like a square peg in a round hole...which, by ECC standards, was fairly promising. Adding her transitional stress, Maris lacked the funds needed to rent an apartment anywhere vaguely near headquarters. To put a stop to Maris's lengthy and profane complaints, Adara had allowed the lobster fisherwoman to live in her guest home. It was a nice compromise, except it was very clear that Maris was uncomfortable in her new and rather posh surroundings.

Calixta and Adara exchanged glances as the rest of the ECC attempted to wake up with the morning's coffee. Adara ignored the pleading look from Calixta and announced, "In honor of the fact that it's Valentine's Day, I think we should all do an extra round in the holomodule."

There was a silence, and three pairs of eyes blinked back. "Today's Valentine's Day?" Maris said somewhat incredulously.

"Don't tell me you forgot," Amber said, smiling slightly.

"Well, it's not exactly my favorite holiday," Maris grumbled. "And anyway, what does holomodule practice have to do with Valentine's Day? That thing gives me the creeps. It's all there and not there...just the whole being inside a computer program thing makes me jittery."

"Why do I have a feeling that this is a Valentine's Day present for Calixta more than the rest of us?" Miakoda wondered aloud.

"Calixta's just mentioned that she had a particular program that I think would be good for today's occasion, and I thought it would all be helpful if we tried it," Adara explained. "Besides, we've had almost no Hawk attacks these past two weeks. If we don't stay in top form, we're going to be in trouble when a real attack comes along."

The others finally consented, but not without some poorly concealed grumbling. They all finished off their coffee, suited up, and followed Calixta to the holomodule area. They stepped into the empty room, their footsteps echoing on the metal floor.

"Computer, run program BadDay.sim," Calixta announced to the blank room. There were a few raised eyebrows at that, but no one actually commented. The five women stood ready as the lights dimmed and a new scene popped up: a poorly-lit and crowded bar. A bartender was cleaning glasses, a boxing match was blaring on the TV wall, and various men and women were standing around talking in low voices.

Maris threw a glance at Calixta. "This is your idea of a romantic Valentine's Day? Your tastes are even worse than mine!"

Calixta shrugged. "Actually, this wasn't my idea at all. It was Adara's."

Adara glared at Calixta and hastened to defend herself. "But you designed the décor!"

"So I did," Calixta admitted, "along with a few other things. I guess I should warn you that I was in a bad mood at the time."

Miakoda looked at her warily. She knew Calixta sometimes used the holomodules just to vent and with no other real outlets, her creations could be...unsettling.

The ECC stood around for a few minutes, warned but unsure of what to do. Then a man made his way through the crowd towards them. His hair—if it was even real—looked like it had been greased with Pennzoil, and the loud alligator-skin suit he wore would have made milk curdle. He smiled a mouthful of painfully yellow teeth at them and drawled, "Hey there, ladies...want to come see my hard drive? I promise it isn't 3.5 inches and it ain't floppy."

The ECC's reactions to this man were all fairly similar. Miakoda quickly looked the opposite direction and coughed violently. Adara's eyebrow twitched, and a small flame formed behind her hand. Amber looked irritated and fingered her necklace. Maris simply responded with an irritated, "Fuck off!"

Mr. Bad Pick-Up apparently wasn't fazed. "If I do, promise me you'll be there for the big finale?" He winked and slapped Maris on the butt.

Maris's face turned lobster-red, and she looked ready to annihilate a city block or two. "Sir, permission to kick this bastard's ass!"

Before Adara could answer, Maris decided to take matters into her own hands. A dozen yellow teeth went flying as Maris threw a right hook straight into Mr. Bad Pick-Up's jaw. He landed hard on his back, and nursed his bloody face. The rest of the crowd barely reacted to the punch, as their job was mainly to stand around and be extras.

Maris shook out her hand and looked at the results of her work with some satisfaction. "Now that's what I call the best part of waking up!"

Mr. Bad Pick-Up turned back to the ECC, the blood on his face suddenly gone. His smarmy voice became a low growl as he said, "You'll regret that, human!"

"He's a Lucifer Hawk?" Amber moaned. "Honestly, Calixta...I'd never thought I'd have to say this, but I hate you."

Mr. Bad Pick-Up slowly morphed into a ten-foot tall monster that was only slightly less appealing than his human form. Maris blinked, and turned back to her teammates angrily. "Wait a minute, you mean he's a Hawk that can disguise himself as a human?"

"Yeah, he's a Category One," Miakoda said. "Don't you remember going over that during your training?"

"Well shit, I don't remember anyone telling me that!" She ducked as the Hawk swung a massive tentacle-like appendage at her head. The rest of the ECC immediately jumped to attention and prepared themselves for battle. A Category One was no laughing matter, even if it was holographic. The rest of the extras finally took notice of the monster and began to flee the scene.

Adara took the offensive and hurled a fireball at the Hawk's head. It teleported itself out of harm's way and reappeared right behind Amber. She turned around fast, raised her NX-5150, and fired three shots. She managed to get one shot into its head before it teleported again. "Dang it, hold still already!" Amber demanded.

Miakoda pulled out her own firearm to assist in Amber's attempts. She wasn't exactly ready to call upon any of the Spirit Servants yet, but the way this fight was going, she was beginning to reconsider. Adara's fireballs and their bullets were keeping the Hawk on its toes, but it didn't seem to be doing any damage. "Is there something wrong with that SATI or whatever you call it, Calixta?" Amber called. "Nothing here seems to be working."

"There's nothing wrong with the computer; he's just really hard," Adara said with frustration.

"That's right, I am hard," the Hawk sneered. "Guess you're starting to figure out who's got what it takes, and who has to fake it." It teleported directly behind Amber and lowered its mouth to her face. "Hey baby, how 'bout a little kiss for the road?"

Amber raised her gun to fire, but the Hawk suddenly enveloped her in a mass of gnarled flesh. Her yells for help became muffled as she got absorbed into the Hawk.

"Stand back!" Maris suddenly shouted. She summoned Nauticus from her Evian water bottle and held the liquid sword upright in front of her. She closed her eyes, as if concentrating all her energy into the sword with a will. She then opened her eyes, and began chanting in a language that none of them understood:

/Seven seas for seven sins/

/Seven times cleansed/

/Poseidon is the king of the depths/

/The purifier of evil/

/I call upon the wrathful king/

/To purify this unholy creature/

/Heed your servant, send your oceans/

/Purge your enemy of its life!/

As soon as she shouted the last words, a wall of water nearly as tall as the ceiling swept outwards from Nauticus and engulfed the Hawk and the bar. The rest of the ECC attempted to shield themselves as the seawater splashed up against the walls and the ceiling, knocking over random objects and soaking all of them completely through.

When the water finally dissolved into thin air, both the bar and the Hawk were completely gone, and the scene had been restored to the normal blank room. Amber landed on the floor where the Hawk had once stood, and spat out a mouthful of seawater. Maris looked triumphantly at her teammates as Nauticus also dissolved. "Now that's how you teach those damn bastards their lesson!"

"Actually, I'm afraid you didn't teach them anything." Calixta sighed as she attempted to wring out her jacket. "I commanded the program to shut off right before you did the spell. It's game over if any one of us gets eaten."

"Ensign Lynn, I have a request to make..." Adara said with obvious irritation.

"What's that?"

"That you would please not use that spell in the future unless I specifically ask you to."

Amber stood up shakily, looking more annoyed than the rest of them put together. "I saw his hard drive. Let's just say it's a few bytes short of an operating system."

------

After the excitement of their somewhat disastrous round in the holomodule, Mackenzie figured it would be best if they all cooled down with some paperwork...that, and she was obviously displeased that they had managed to completely drench their uniforms before lunchtime. Now, each ECC member sat with a daunting mound of papers on their desks, all of which needed to be filled out before 2:00.

"I don't see why Mackenzie's punishing us with all this..." Maris complained for the umpteenth time as she completed one form out of the stack. "After all, she wasn't the one that had to deal with that smarmy asshole."

"It was just a hologram," Miakoda sighed. "You should be thankful that wasn't a real person, or a real Hawk. Otherwise we'd have much bigger problems to be dealing with than wet uniforms and paperwork."

"Such as the fact that I'd be Hawk dinner," Amber piped up. "I don't know about the rest of you, but that whole trial run wasn't exactly reassuring. I thought training in there was supposed to help prevent that sort of thing!"

"It is, but there's only so much we can train against," Calixta said, pressing harder than was necessary on their quadruple-sheeted forms. "Category Ones are never easy...for us or AMP or anyone. But it never hurts to be aware of the fact."

"I'm aware of the fact that he was a bastard that needed to die painfully, and that's all I need to know," Maris huffed. She held out the next form and stared at it quizzically. "What the hell is 'number of non-planar offensive measures'?"

"It's how many spells you use, or just how many times you use magic," Adara said. "You need to report how many shots you discharge, how many spells you use, what kind of spells you use, what damage your spells and/or shots did to the surrounding property, what the surrounding property is, any persons or animals injured or affected by your spells and/or shots, any treatments you required following the fight, the duration of your stay in the hospital, any damage done to your weapon, the serial number of your weapon, your badge number, your PBN, your social security number, your insurance number and a few other numbers I don't remember off the top of my head."

"So you do need to know a bit more other than the fact that they need to die painfully," Calixta said.

"Fuck that..." Maris grumbled, and went back to scribbling on her forms.

After a few minutes of unnatural silence hanging in the large office, Adara finally pulled out one rather large form and looked at it worriedly before handing it to Miakoda. "Think Mackenzie will be angry if I show this to her? Or should I wait until she gets the bill herself?"

"What is this for?" Miakoda asked, scanning the document over.

Adara looked towards the ceiling innocently. "It's, erm...a little bill I sort of acquired during a date with Richard last Friday."

"Acquired? Adara, this is $2,344.59!" Miakoda exclaimed when she saw the number at the bottom of the page. "And this is all coming out of the taxpayers' pockets? For one date?"

"Well, Richard just offered to take me out that evening, so I offered to foot the bill. I mean, I can pay all of this back..."

"That's beside the point! How did you manage to spend two thousand dollars on just one date?" Amber said.

Adara began counting on her fingers. "Well, there was the soup, the salad, the side dishes, the appetizer, the lobster, the swordfish, the 1997 Dom. Romanee Conti, the dessert, the coffee, the play, the live band, the fireworks..."

"Okay, I think we get the picture," Miakoda said. "Although if you do have the guts to show this to Mackenzie, I suggest that you leave out the coffee."

"Speaking of expensive dinners, has Richard, you know...popped the question yet?" Amber asked none-too-stealthily.

"Popped the...what?" Adara was caught somewhat off-guard, and blinked a few times before she could talk again. It was certainly unusual for Adara to be at a loss for words. "No, no, nothing like that. We're just dating. It's nothing serious."

A few unconvinced coughs replied to Adara's claim. "If this is nothing serious, I'd hate to see what the serious bill looks like," Miakoda said, handing the form back to Adara. The ECC field commander knew what all of her subordinates were thinking, and she didn't dare and arouse their curiosity further...so she decided to hide the receipt for the hotel that had followed the theatre and fireworks.

"Well now that I think about it, Amber, maybe he's waiting until tonight to go through with it," Miakoda winked. "Today is certainly an appropriate day."

"Hmph, I highly doubt Richard would do anything of the sort, especially where we're going," Adara said.

"So where are we going, exactly?" Maris asked suspiciously. "You've been throwing hints out all day, and it's getting on my nerves."

"We're going to go clubbing as soon as we're done with all our work here," Adara said. "I know all of you guys...we hardly ever go out on the town. Well, today we finally have an occasion, so we're all going out together and we're going to enjoy ourselves!"

"That's why she had me program in that simulation," Calixta said. "She just wanted to use my holomodule to train you guys."

"Train us in what, exactly?" Maris said.

"In proper clubbing etiquette, which you failed miserably," Adara said, turning to Maris. "Once we do go out, you're going to have to be on your best behavior. Maybe back home people knew you better and knew not to mess with you, but here you're going to have to be courteous even if people are less than polite to you. Any stunts like the one you pulled in the holomodule are definitely going to get us kicked out of the club."

"Do I have to be polite even if greasy jerks like that Hawk slap me on the ass?"

"If they actually are Hawks, then no. If they're human, then yes. You should at least refrain from punching them."

"Well, this whole thing better damn well be worth my time..." Maris said. Calixta secretly shared Maris's sentiment. She was less than comfortable in those sorts of situations, and had agreed to go only by Adara's pleading...and bribery.

Suddenly, alarms sounded throughout the building, and screens began to pop up along all of their stations on Hawk activity. The girls jumped to attention as Mackenzie's voice came over the intercom: "We have some massive Hawk activity up in old Manhattan, near the coast. This needs to be taken care of immediately."

"Already on it," Adara said for the group as she and the rest of the ECC leapt from their seats and headed for the transport.

------

The 'Aurora' circled the skyscrapers precariously, searching out an inconspicuous place to land. Unfortunately, there was almost nowhere that was inconspicuous, even in this run-down part of the city. The fading daylight aided somewhat in their mission, but they also knew that would hinder them in the coming fight. Adara steered their vehicle towards an abandoned roof parking lot in the center of an old shopping center, while Calixta scanned their opponents below. She frowned as several large colored masses appeared on the screen before her. "This is really bad...there are three Category Twos down there, and a whole herd of Category Threes circling the perimeter."

"What are they all doing down there?" Amber wondered.

"This is really strange, but it looks like they're...digging," Calixta said after punching a few more buttons. "At least the Category Twos are. They're burrowing down into the floor of the abandoned shopping center while the Threes are just milling around them."

"Calixta's right...this is really bad," Adara said in all seriousness. "These aren't just lost Hawks happening across an easy meal. These guys are looking for something specific, and they'll be more than ready to defend themselves."

"So what's the plan?" Miakoda asked.

"The plan is a good old-fashioned sneak attack. It's usually best to take out the big guys first, but in this instance we should attack the Threes. The last thing we need is for the big guys to discover our presence and sic all of their lackeys on us at the same time. Miakoda and I will take the left flank; Amber and Maris, you take the right. Calixta, stay here and inform us if the Twos start making a move, but be ready to get down here if we need backup. I don't think I need to remind you all that this is the biggest fight we've had in awhile, so we all need to be on our guard." Adara looked at her teammates pointedly.

"Hey, I'm fine as long as those damn bastards don't start hitting on me," Maris said, although everyone else could tell that she wasn't 100% confident either.

As soon as the STAV touched down, the four women got out and split into two groups, walking in a wide circle around where the Hawks were supposedly operating. The tapping of their shoes rang eerily loudly in the empty shopping center, tightening their already tense nerves.

"Time to save the world and all the pretty horses," Calixta said sarcastically over the collar communicator.

"Do we have to include the horses?" Maris asked. "They're the ones shitting all over the place."

"Yeah, but without them, we don't have jobs."

"Speaking of jobs, better start counting your rounds," Amber added, raising her weapon. A clattering sound came from the floor below them, followed by a mass of bat-like Category Threes slithering up the broken escalator.

"Get outta the way; we've got bigger fish to fry!" Maris challenged the Hawks, and she and Amber began firing at the oncoming enemy. Most of their shots hit the Hawks, and they disintegrated into nothing on contact. A few, however, slid past them and circled around back the way they had come.

"Not such big shots now, are ya?" Maris called after the escaping Hawks.

"Stop taunting them and go after them!" Amber cried, running down the escalator. "They'll get back to the Category Twos and then we'll really have problems!"

"I'm afraid it's a little late for that," a low and unnerving voice said directly behind them.

"Adara, we've got trouble!" Calixta shouted over the communicator. "Two of those Category Twos just moved position, and I'm not picking them up anymore."

"Dammit! I didn't expect them to realize we were here so quickly!" Adara said. "We need to regroup. Maris, Amber, do you guys read me?"

"They can't reply to you if they're already dead," said another voice above them. Miakoda and Adara looked up and dodged just before the Category Two's psychic attack came crashing down on top of them. Adara instinctively shot a column of flame at the Hawk, but the fire barely even affected him, and the heat seemed to die in her hand.

"You will not interfere with our work!" the Hawk shouted, preparing to cast another attack spell. "We have been given specific orders from Lord Jerel to destroy anything and anyone who keeps us from recovering what we need!"

Miakoda's psychic shield was up in a flash, but she barely managed to deflect the spell before it died away again. She stepped back to catch her breath, allowing Adara to attempt to flame the Hawk again. Adara remembered some Lucifer Hawks mentioning a Jerel before, and it was beginning to really bother her. "Well if your boss is so important, let us talk to him ourselves!" she yelled, and cast more flames at her opponent. Once again, the fire had little effect, and just creating a simple fireball seemed to require more energy than was usually necessary.

"There's something wrong with your powers, isn't there?" Miakoda said to Adara quietly.

"I don't understand this at all...it's like there's some energy here that's making the fire die. I can't seem to generate any power..." Adara responded, looking worried. The Lucifer Hawk decided to take advantage of the misfortune, and went straight for Adara. The Hawk's claws came rushing at her just as she was about to raise her weapon.

------

"Adara? Adara, Miakoda! Amber! Where are you guys?" Calixta yelled into the communicator. The signals for the three main Hawks had reappeared, but now her teammates were missing.

(It's just interference. There are four whole layers of building down there, and these instruments aren't entirely accurate. And magical energy as well...that's been known to cause disruptions in electrical instruments. It's definitely happened before. It's just those spells that Adara and Miakoda and Maris are using. There's no way all four of them could possibly be downed by some lousy Hawks...just interference,) Calixta repeated over to herself while staring at the monitor. However, the more she said it, the less she believed it.

(Well if you don't believe yourself, you better go down and help them,) a voice inside her said.

(Adara specifically commanded me to wait at the STAV unless called for. The last thing we need now is for people to start disobeying the commander's orders,) she said back to herself.

(Oh, is that the excuse you're going to give yourself? When really it's just that you'd rather stay with your computers than actually go out there and fight like the rest of them?)

(My job is just as important as theirs, thank you very much. And I intend to do it correctly.)

(Especially when it requires sitting on your butt waiting to receive orders.)

(I'll show you what it requires!) Calixta finished to herself angrily. She grabbed her gun and portable scanner and jumped out of the 'Aurora'. She looked back and hesitated for only a second, then stiffened her shoulders and headed into the building.

Inside it was unnaturally silent...no ECC, no Category Twos, no Threes even. She checked her scanner, and saw that all of the Twos were still somewhere in the building, while the Threes seemed to have dispersed to the outside. Still no sign of her teammates. She walked to the center of the main lobby, where the three Hawks had started digging. Although she didn't want to face off against a Category Two alone, it was better than waiting for the Hawks to come and find her.

Calixta continued forward with her gun drawn, ready to take on any Hawk that dared stand in her way. The concrete and dirt floor was coated with an almost invisible layer of ice, and a large pile of stone and metal lay to one side of an enormous hole. Calixta then began to realize just how cold it was inside the building, and she wondered where all the ice had come from.

Suddenly, a monstrous figure rose out of the hole in the ground...the third Category Two. Its large claws were covered in dirt and scratches, indicating that it had been doing most of the digging.

(I don't know what they're looking for,) Calixta thought, (but I'm not about to let them find it.) She took her second gun out of the holster, focused the laser sight carefully, and fired.

The bright white plasma charge flared as it streaked past the Category Two's head and impacted the ceiling behind it. The Hawk's eyes glinted smugly as it turned toward Calixta. "You pathetic human," it taunted. "How can you hope to defeat us if you cannot even aim your useless weapons? You are no threat to us."

"You're absolutely right," Calixta said, smiling as she watched the pillar behind the Hawk crumble over the hole. "My aim is just devastatingly awful."

The Hawk whirled around and roared as it saw the avalanche pile of rubble fill in the hole it had worked so hard to dig. "You!" it shouted. Its throat seemed to choke up as it searched for suitable words. "You will—"

"Find my teammates," Calixta interrupted. She raised her plasma gun threateningly and demanded, "Where are they?"

Her question was answered by a sudden commotion on both sides of the lobby. Calixta looked up with relief and then concern as she saw first Maris and Amber and then Adara and Miakoda appear on the level above her. However, all four of them were busy fending off a Category Two and a host of Category Threes...and they didn't seem to be doing very well.

Adara glanced down and saw Calixta with the digger Category Two. "Lieutenant! I thought I told you to stay with the STAV until we called for backup!"

"Sorry sir, but from the looks of things, I think I heard your mental call for backup," she called back, thankful that at least all of them were still alive.

"Well, since you're here, you'd better make yourself useful!" Adara responded. She was trying hard to disguise the fact that it was getting more and more difficult to use her fire power, but the strain was wearing on her, and she knew it was only so much longer before the Hawk finally got the best of her. Calixta did her best to help, mainly by picking off all of the Category Threes that were swarming around her friends. It helped some, but it was clear that the Twos were still the main problem.

"Hey Calixta, behind you!" Amber suddenly shouted as she began to back down the stairs. Calixta spun around as the digger Hawk rose up above her, and she emptied her clip into its head. The Hawk wailed, raised a claw as if to strike, and then fell over dead.

The other two large Hawks noticed their partner fall. "You will pay for that!" the Hawk nearest to Adara and Miakoda roared, and swung its arm at both of them. Miakoda was knocked to the floor, but Adara slid down the ramp behind her and fell into what was left of the hole.

The momentum knocked her sideways into the rubble. Adara picked herself up carefully, not even wanting to think about how much she was going to feel that in the morning. The massive bruise on her shoulder that the Hawk had given her earlier was damage enough. She felt a twinge of pain as she reached up to clutch the edge of the hole. (Just ignore it,) she thought. (Just get yourself out of here.) She tried to use her feet to push herself up, but her shoes slipped on the concrete wall as though it were slimy. Curious, she looked down, and realized that almost the entire hole was sheeted in ice.

And suddenly, everything fell into place.

"Maris! You know that spell I told you to never use again unless I told you to?" Adara yelled.

"Yeah?" Maris called back, already unscrewing her water bottle.

"Well, I'm telling you to use it now!"

"With pleasure!" Maris said, glad to finally be able to bring out her old friend. She summoned the massive sword from her container, and held it upright before her opponent. The Lucifer Hawk took a step backwards at the sight of Nauticus...it seemed as if most Hawks could recognize the willed blade.

/Seven seas for seven sins/

/Seven times cleansed/

/Poseidon is the king of the depths/

/The purifier of evil/

/I call upon the wrathful king/

/To purify this unholy creature/

/Heed your servant, send your oceans/

/Purge your enemy of its life!/

The tidal wave was released from Nauticus again...only this time it made the previous wave look like a ripple. Maris herself was thrown back as gallons upon gallons of seawater rushed outwards from Nauticus, knocking both the Hawks and the ECC off their feet. The wave crashed against the walls of the building dangerously, and splintered several of the concrete pillars. However, the spell didn't stop at the first outward wave...the water spiraled back on them, and crashed in on itself until it reached the ceiling of the two-story lobby. For a few horrible moments, all of the ECC found themselves struggling for air in the dark.

Then the water quickly evaporated into nothing, causing all five women to land harshly on the damp ground below. There was a general consensus of coughing up water and rubbing of eyes before they thought to look for what happened to their opponents. The Lucifer Hawks had not fared so well against the attack...the Category Threes had been completely obliterated, and all that remained of the two large Hawks were a few pieces scattered around the upper level.

Calixta stood up shakily, not even bothering to try and wring out her uniform this time. She looked at Maris pointedly. "Umm...overkill much?"

"Hey, don't look at me," Maris said, staring at Nauticus with wide eyes. "I don't even know what the fuck that was. I've done that spell before, but I've never gotten a reaction like that. You know, Nauticus, not everyone in this room can breathe underwater," she told the sword.

My apologies, Ms. Lynn...I was simply responding to the immediacy of the situation. I did not mean to put your friends in danger.

"It's not Nauticus's fault," Adara finally said. "It's where we are. We're right above a very large water ley line."

There was a confused silence. "How do you know that?" Miakoda asked.

"It's the only explanation for what's going on here...the ley lines in the earth are what magic-users draw their power from. My powers as a fire elemental were weak here, nearly useless in fact, because fire is the opposing element of water. So it would only make sense that Maris's use of water magic would be heightened in this area."

"Maybe to you, but it doesn't make sense to me..." Maris said, shaking the water out of her hair. "I never knew there were all these rules to magic and whatever. I just said whatever was coming out of Nauticus."

"Most people don't know all the rules," Adara said. "A lot of it has been lost since the Sorcerer's Guild was last truly active almost thirty years ago."

"Well, magic rules or not, that certainly did the trick." Amber looked up to where the Hawks had once stood. "And I think the fact that we were able to beat out this group of Hawks will help Mackenzie to forget that we've now ruined two sets of uniforms in one day."

"Well, it's all in a day's work for the world-famous Equine Cleanup and Control!" Adara said confidently as the other women gathered around her. "I'd say we've definitely earned ourselves a night on the town with this one."

"As long as we can get something hot to eat while we're out. Oooh, some home-cooked enchiladas sound really good right now..." Amber sighed.

"Mexican? You're covered in seawater; you need New England clam chowder or steamed mussels!" Maris protested. "How can you possibly stand smelling like the ocean and then not eating seafood?"

"Well unlike you, Ms. Lobster Fisher, I don't intend to keep smelling like the ocean when we eat," Amber replied.

"I suppose it's somewhat useless to offer my opinion..." Adara sighed as Amber and Maris immediately resorted to their endless banter on which was the better cuisine.

"I'll have what you're having, as long as it's worth less than three months of my salary." Miakoda winked at Adara.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

The ECC exited the empty building and headed for the 'Aurora', leaving the cleanup for later staff members. None of them noticed as all of the water still clinging to the walls and floor began to slowly move of its own accord. It clustered together into puddles and seeped downward until it reached the hole in the center of the room. At the bottom of the hole, it finally gathered until it solidified into ice, adding another layer to what was sealed only a few feet below.

------

Miakoda stretched out on the couch and sighed. She was glad to finally be finished with the second round of paperwork. It helped that she hadn't gotten a chance to use very much magic. More magic meant more paperwork, and while the quadruplicate carbon forms weren't the worst part of her job, they were a hassle. Everyone except Amber was still wading through the stacks of bureaucratese and repetitive questions.

"Hey," Amber said. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure," Miakoda said, moving over on the couch. Amber sat down next to her.

"I'm so excited about tonight," she said. "If we weren't going out, I'd just be having a big dinner with my family. I mean, it's fun and everything, but it's always the same thing, you know? It's nice that I finally have some friends to go out with."

"I'm glad," Miakoda said. "I probably wouldn't be doing anything tonight either if we hadn't made plans."

A frustrated scream drew their attention to the offices. "This is the third time they've asked the same fucking question!" Maris shouted.

"So it shouldn't be too hard to give them the same answer," Calixta said. "Or you could make them all different, just to see if they're paying attention."

Maris laughed. "Good idea! That'll show those overpaid pansy bastards!"

"Thanks a lot, Lieutenant!" Adara snapped.

"Sorry, sorry...just kidding about that," Calixta said hastily.

"Aw, damn," Maris muttered. She continued her paperwork in sullen silence.

Amber looked over into the set of offices. "You know, I feel really sorry for her," she said. "It can't be easy, being alone on a day like today."

Miakoda looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Well, take that whole thing in the holomodule," Amber said. "You can totally tell she's had some bad experiences with men, and she's scared of getting hurt again. But still, she has to feel lonely."

Miakoda recalled the caricatured drunk in the simulation. So that was how Calixta felt about men...no wonder she never went out. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before. "That makes a lot of sense," Miakoda admitted. "It really explains a lot."

"Right! Like how she always keeps to herself."

"Exactly!" Miakoda sighed. "I just wish there was something we could do about it."

"I know!" Amber leaned back dejectedly on the couch, picking at her cuticles. Suddenly she sat up again. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner! I know the perfect guy to set her up with tonight!"

"Er...I don't know," Miakoda said skeptically. "I'm not sure she would appreciate that."

"No, trust me. He is the nicest guy in the world. You have nothing to worry about."

"I just don't want her to have another bad experience, that's all," Miakoda said.

"He's a total gentleman," Amber assured her. "She'll have a great time. Trust me."

Miakoda sat still for a moment, trying to gather her impressions. It was a risky business, meddling in affairs of the heart. Still, Amber obviously trusted this man, and she didn't trust people easily. "All right," she said finally. "Just make sure it's all right with her first."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Amber said, jumping off the couch. "Just leave everything to me."

A vague foreboding feeling ran through Miakoda, but before she could call Amber back, the former reporter was already in her office and on the phone.

------

Tad Daniels sat in his office, flipping through a Valentine's Day catalogue. He knew it was too late to actually order anything, but maybe it would give him some last-minute inspiration. (Chocolates? Does Amber like chocolate? I think so, but what kind is her favorite? Dark? White? Milk? Truffles? Why are there so many different kinds of chocolate? There's a conspiracy in here somewhere...) He flipped through several pages. (Stuffed animals? It seems a little juvenile...but I don't know...)

Tad's throat began feeling constricted. (I should have done this weeks ago. I should have known that one day wouldn't be enough to find Amber the perfect gift...) His fingers clutched his head. (Maybe I should just call her. Just pick up the phone and tell her...)

The phone rang. Tad's body shot upright as he grabbed the receiver. "Tad Daniels, New York Sentinel," he said automatically.

"Hey, Daniels!" Amber's warm voice sounded in his ear. It was the perfect chance. (Just say it. Just tell her...)

"Oh hey, hey Amber." (Does my voice always sound this stupid?) Tad wondered. "Um, what's up?" (Yes, it does. I sound like an idiot.)

"I actually had a favor to ask..." Amber paused.

"Yeah, sure. Anything."

"I'm sorry about the late notice, but my coworkers and I are going clubbing this evening, and I was wondering if you—"

"Yeah, sure," Tad said eagerly. "I'd love to come."

"That's great!" Amber said. "I knew you'd help me out. My coworker will really appreciate this."

"Um...what?" Tad's mind went into shock.

"Yeah, she's had a really hard time of things, and she just needs someone nice to be with tonight, so I thought of you."

"Right. Of course." Tad sat numbly as the words slipped out of his mouth. "That was nice of you."

"Is 7:00 okay for you?" Amber asked.

"Sure. Fine."

"Okay, we'll meet at Adara's house." Amber proceeded to give him directions. "Thanks so much for doing this, Daniels!" she said. "You're a great friend."

The word "friend" echoed in Tad's ear long after Amber had hung up. He slammed his head on his desk. The precariously balanced catalogue slipped off the desk and fell to the floor. He looked down. It had opened to the engagement rings page. Tad laughed bitterly and threw the catalogue into the trash can. He knew when he was being mocked.

------

Adara emerged from a walk-in closet with a silky gray-blue cocktail dress and a smile that barely concealed her frustration. "Well, what about this one?" she asked.

Maris clenched her hands into fists. "Absolutely no way in fucking hell! I told you, I'm not wearing a dress!"

The doorbell rang. "Fine," Adara said. "Miakoda, you talk some sense into her. I'll be back."

"It would mean a lot to Adara if you dressed up tonight," Miakoda said. "It doesn't have to be a dress, just something a little bit nicer—like this." She gestured toward her own brown leather pants and jacket over a loose white linen blouse.

Maris looked less skeptical. "Well...maybe," she said.

The two turned as they heard the sound of Adara, Calixta, and Amber coming up the stairs. "No, really," Amber said. "I brought extra clothes just in case."

"I'm sure we can find something in my closet that fits," Adara added.

"But why?" Calixta said. "I'm perfectly comfortable."

"But it's a special day!" Amber persisted. "Special days require special clothes!"

They opened the door to the room. "See?" Calixta said, pointing to Maris. "She's wearing jeans. So what's wrong with black pants?"

"She's changing," Adara said. "And so are you." She rifled through her closet and emerged with a slim black skirt and a tailored red shirt. "Try this."

Calixta raised an eyebrow. "I can already tell that getting my legs through that skirt would be like squeezing two orcas through a tube of toothpaste."

Amber held up a skimpy dark blue dress. "How about this?" she asked.

"Well, I'm a reasonable person," Calixta said. "Tell you what. You can put that getup on my cold, dead corpse."

Maris grinned. "That's the spirit!"

A dangerous glint shone in Adara's eyes as she locked the door. "I have never given ground to a Lucifer Hawk," she said, "and I'm not about to lose a battle to two of my officers." She turned to Amber. "Ensign Ramirez! Take Calixta to the adjoining room. Lieutenant Nakai and I will take care of Maris."

Adara pulled back a curtain to reveal a vast array of cosmetics and jewelry boxes. "You have access to any resources you need," she said. "Let the battle commence."

------

Nearly an hour later, everyone regrouped downstairs in Adara's parlor to admire the effects of their victory. Maris wore black leather pants and jacket, a necklace in the shape of an anchor, and had her hair done up in a French braid. Calixta crossed her arms over what she considered an inordinately low-cut red tank top. She tried uselessly to readjust the loosely draped fabric for better coverage. The back was too low as well—but at least she had gotten to keep her pants. That was something, anyway.

"Don't they look fabulous?" Amber squealed.

Calixta and Maris stared at each other with the sympathetic understanding of two prisoners of war. "You look nice," Calixta said.

"Aw, shit, do I really?" Maris asked, alarmed.

"Well, I mean, nicer than usual," Calixta amended hastily.

"Oh." Maris looked relieved. "Well, I guess that's all right, then. And you—um, you look nicer than usual, too."

Calixta sighed. "Thanks."

Amber circled around Maris. "I love what you've done with your hair! And the necklace...Tad's going to love it!"

"What?" Miakoda exclaimed. "But I thought—"

"Who the hell is Tad?" Maris demanded.

"He's a friend of mine, and your date for the evening." Amber beamed. Maris began turning an unusual shade of purple.

Ding-dong! The sound echoed like a death knell through Adara's house. "I'll get it!" Amber shouted. "It's probably Tad!" She bounced off down the hall.

"She set me up on a fucking blind date?" Maris shouted.

"I'm so sorry!" Miakoda exclaimed. "I had no idea she meant you—"

"You knew about this?" Maris demanded, whirling on her in a fury.

"Well, no! I thought she was setting him up with Calixta."

"Oh, thanks a lot!" Calixta exclaimed.

"I'm going to fucking kill her!" Maris roared.

"Ensign Lynn!" At the sound of Adara's voice, Maris snapped to attention in spite of herself. "You will, I repeat, will be a model of good citizenship tonight. You will be the perfect date: gracious, charming, and polite. If you are not, I will bust your sorry butt five ranks and you will spend the rest of your life as ECC janitor. Do I make myself absolutely clear?"

Maris twitched. "Yes...sir."

"Good." Adara forced a smile. "We're going to have a good time tonight if it kills us."

Amber returned, dragging behind her a sandy-haired man in khakis and a white dress shirt. "Maris, this is Tad. Tad, Maris."

Tad stared at the tall, muscular woman. Her smile did not reach her blue eyes, which flashed the unmistakable message: "I want you dead." (Run,) he thought. (Run away while you still have all your limbs and internal organs. Run.) Then he looked at Amber, who was looking up at him, watching for his reaction. (I'm not doing this for me,) he reminded himself. (I'm doing it for her.)

"I'm...delighted," he said carefully. "I—uh, brought you flowers." He brought a bouquet out from behind his back.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do with flowers?" Maris asked. She glanced at Adara and quickly amended, "I mean...how...charming." She smiled and said through gritted teeth, "Thanks so much. I...really appreciate it. They're...beautiful. Let me go put them in some water."

"I'll do it," Adara said quickly. "I know where the vases are." (And the last thing I need is my house flooded with seawater and two mysterious dead bodies that I have to explain to the police.)

Tad stood awkwardly as he watched Adara swish out of the room. He glanced over at Amber, noticing how attractive she looked in her form-fitting red and black dress. (It's not about Amber,) he reminded himself. (I need to be nice to my date...) He snuck a glance up at Maris, who was still fuming. (...civil to my date...) He looked down and noticed her hands were clenched in fists. (...survive my date...)

The doorbell rang again. "I'll get it!" Tad said quickly. He tried to calm his body down enough to avoid running from the room. He swung the door open and saw a tall, dark-haired man in well-tailored casual wear holding a bouquet of roses.

When the stranger saw Tad, his smile faded. "What are you doing here?"

(Please don't kill me,) Tad thought desperately. (Who—? Oh. Of course. Adara's boyfriend.) "I'm not here with Adara!" he said hastily. "I'm meeting my date here. I'm going with Maris."

From upstairs, the two men heard a shout. "What? Well, he'd fucking better not expect me to kiss him!"

"...with her," Tad concluded miserably.

"Ahh..." The dark-haired man smiled sympathetically. "Maybe it won't be so bad." He extended his hand. "Richard Price III."

Tad shook his hand. "Tad Daniels."

Richard stepped inside, and Adara came out to greet him. He handed her the roses, and whispered promises of more later. Adara smiled.

"It looks like everyone's here," she said. "So how should we divide up for the ride over? Men against women?" She grinned at Richard. "I don't know about you, but I feel like a race."

"The faster, the better," Richard said amiably. "Shall we?"

"I'll see you there," Adara said.

"...after you've kissed our dust!" Maris concluded, grinning wickedly.

A red 1966 Chevrolet Impala SS 427 convertible peeled around the corner, close on the tail of a silver 2032 Mercedes-Benz convertible. The Impala merged into the next lane, accelerating quickly.

"Come on!" Maris shouted, pounding on the dashboard. "We're right on top of them!"

Miakoda tightened her fingers around the bar above the door, her face slightly pale.

"You can actually go a lot faster than this," Calixta said. "This car has a pretty powerful engine. They really don't make them like this anymore."

"They really don't." Adara sighed regretfully. "Well, let's show them what the good old cars can do."

"Just remember that the speed limit's 60 on this road," Amber piped up.

"I'll remember," Adara said. (I may ignore the fact, but I'll remember...) She smoothed the skirt of her short, black cocktail dress and placed her hand on the gear-shift. A smile lit her face as she pushed the car into fourth gear.

The Impala leaped forward, its engine purring. It pulled alongside the Mercedes and kept pace with it. The two cars zoomed through the traffic, the sound of their engines echoing in the brisk night air. Suddenly, the Impala shot ahead, cut in front of the Mercedes, and pulled into a nearby parking lot. Adara got out of the car and grinned triumphantly.

The Mercedes pulled into an adjacent parking spot. "Did we have to let them beat us?" Tad asked.

Richard shrugged. "It was either that, or wreck the cars."

"Come on," said Adara. "I'll take care of the cover charge."

"No, no," Richard insisted. "Allow me. It is Valentine's Day, after all."

After a little bickering, Richard won the day. He paid a snobbish man at the door, and the group stepped inside. They saw a spacious hardwood dance floor, lit predominantly by red and white lights. Leather couches and booths with glass-topped tables encircled the dance floor, and a polished marble bar counter stood at the far end of the room. Techno music pumped through the club.

"I love it!" Amber squealed. "Come on, let's start dancing!"

Maris crossed her arms over her chest, and Calixta said simply but stubbornly, "I don't dance."

Amber's face fell, and Miakoda said quickly, "I'll dance. That sounds like fun."

"We'll join you in a few minutes," Adara said. "I just want a drink first." She and Richard went over to the bar.

"I guess we'll, um, go sit down," said Tad, looking nervously at Maris. The two of them went and sat at one of the booths.

"I'll sit with them," Calixta said.

Amber shook her head furiously. "No, no, no!" she said. "You should let them be by themselves. Besides, you want to look available."

Calixta raised an eyebrow. "I do?"

"Come on," Amber pleaded. "Just dance."

"No. But I'll go sit by myself if that will make you feel better."

"Right," said Amber. "That's the best way to meet someone. And then you'll have someone to dance with! That's the best way to go."

"Right." Calixta decided it was more trouble than it was worth to shake Amber free of her delusions. She walked over to the bar and sat down. "I'll have a Coke, please."

The bartender looked at her a little oddly. "Just a Coke?"

"Well, if you could put a slice of lemon in it, that would be nice."

"Of course." The bartender poured her a Coke and placed a wedge of lemon in the glass. Calixta smiled and took a sip.

"How are things going?" Adara asked, coming up behind her.

"Splendid," Calixta said. "I haven't had a Coke with lemon in ages."

"Uh...that's good. Listen, if you want any more drinks, feel free to put it on my tab. Richard and I will be on the dance floor." Adara looked up at Richard, who kissed her playfully. "Are you sure you don't want to dance?"

"Quite sure," Calixta replied emphatically.

Richard's eyes searched Adara's, as though asking a question. When he had his answer, he turned to Calixta. "Calixta, I'd love to dance with you later. You'll save me one, won't you?"

Startled and confused, Calixta turned and looked up at him. "Look, that's very nice, but—but I can't—I don't dance—that is, I prefer not to. But thank you anyway."

"Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find us," Richard said. He and Adara threaded their way through the tables and club patrons until they emerged on the dance floor. "May I have this dance, Miss Davis?" Richard asked gallantly, extending his hand toward Adara's.

"This one, and as many others as you'd like," Adara replied, smiling and placing her hand in his. They stepped and swayed to the lively beat and jazzy vocals of "Flames of Desire."

"That singer sounds a lot like you," Richard said, an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"Actually, it is me," Adara replied. "I cut that album several years ago. It's very surreal, coming somewhere and hearing yourself sing." She shook her head. "And I know you know that."

"You're right, I'm being silly. It is a beautiful song though," Richard said, pulling her closer toward him. "Just like its vocalist."

"Mush ball," Adara accused lightly. But she made no attempt to pull herself from his embrace.

Across the room, Tad sat across from Maris, staring longingly at the dance floor. Richard and Adara certainly seemed to be having a good time. Miakoda was dancing too, her lithe body moving gracefully, interpreting the story of the music. And Amber....

Tad smiled as he watched the exuberant sensuality of Amber's dance. The smile faded as one of the men on the dance floor grabbed her hand, and the two them began dancing. Why couldn't he be dancing with her? (Oh, that's right,) he thought, looking back at his date. (Maris.)

Just then, he resolved to make the best of his evening. (I'm doing this for Amber,) he thought. (I'm doing this for Amber's friend. Maris is not going to have a bad time tonight if I can help it.) Tad leaned forward and smiled at Maris. "Would you like to dance?"

Maris stared at him, surprised. "Look, I don't dance with just anyone."

Tad narrowed his eyes. (So that's what you think of me, is it? Well, I'm not giving up that easily.) He smiled flirtatiously. "I'm not just anyone."

Tad's sudden confidence took Maris off guard. "Okay," she said. "Tell you what. Let's play a little game. If you win, we dance. If I win, we don't."

"Fine," Tad said. "What's the game?"

"Just your basic drinking game," Maris replied. "Is rum okay, or would you rather have something else?"

"Uhh..." Tad leaned back nervously. (A drinking game? Not such a good idea.) He looked back at Maris. (Then again, it's better than sitting here awkwardly and doing nothing.) "Sure, rum is fine."

"I'll go get some," Maris said. She walked over to the bar and asked for a bottle of rum and two shot glasses. She took them, and then noticed Calixta sitting at the counter. "Hey, having fun?" she asked.

"No," Calixta said. "How about you?"

"Getting better," Maris said. "We're about to start a drinking game. You can join us if you want."

"What's the point?" Calixta said. "I'm tiny, and I never drink. I have zero alcohol tolerance. I'm no competition at all."

"I dunno." Maris shrugged. "I guess you could just get blitzed out of your mind and forget that it's Valentine's Day."

"Tempting," Calixta said, drumming her fingers on the counter pensively. "But I'm all right here. Have fun."

"I think I will," said Maris, a mischievous glint in her blue eyes. She took the bottle and shot glasses back to the table. "Round One," she announced, pouring two shots.

She and Tad threw back the rum shots. They repeated the process again, and again. After the fourth shot, Tad began feeling a little light-headed. He massaged his forehead gently with his fingertips.

"Giving up that easily, are you?" Maris taunted.

"No, I'm fine," Tad said. He took another shot. "Yeah, I feel good." He smiled stupidly.

"You're going to lose," Maris said, grinning. "I barely feel anything at all."

"Well hey, how about we just arm-wrestle for it, then?" Tad said. "I mean, it's not really fair otherwise, right? I mean, we want it to be fair. So let's just arm-wrestle for it, okay?"

"Hell yeah, that's okay with me," said Maris. She stretched her arm out on the table.

Tad clasped her hand. "Three...two...one! Go!" he shouted, pushing against her arm.

Maris pushed back, shoving Tad's arm to the table. "Ow!" said Tad. "My poor arm..." He shook it out.

"Looks like we're not dancing after all," said Maris.

"Come on," Tad pleaded. "Best out of three?"

Maris clasped his hand obligingly. "Three...two...one!" she shouted.

Immediately, Tad kicked her shin under the table. "Ow!" said Maris, her hand loosening reflexively. Tad took advantage of this moment to push her arm down to the table. "That's one for me," he said, grinning.

"That's because you cheated, you sorry-ass—" Maris clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, shit. I'm supposed to be behaving myself."

"Yeah, me too," said Tad. He looked guiltily toward the dance floor, but Amber and the others appeared to be blissfully ignorant. "I just really wanted to dance. I like to dance, but I shouldn't have—I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Hell no," said Maris. "I'm not some glass doll you have to worry about breaking. I guess I could even handle dancing with you. You're not a total loser."

"Yeah, thanks," said Tad. He stood up a little shakily and took Maris's hand. "So let's dance then."

He led Maris to the dance floor, where a salsa number was just starting. "Do you salsa?" he asked.

"Do I what?" asked Maris.

"Okay, it's all right," said Tad. "Just keep your weight on the balls of your feet. Loosen up your hips, just let them move to the music. Now follow my lead."

Maris raised an eyebrow skeptically, but followed Tad's instructions. "Back, down. Back, down. Forward, down. Forward, down."

"Hell yeah!" said Maris. "I think I'm getting it!"

Amber looked over at Tad and Maris. They certainly seemed to be having a good time. "I think it's going well," she said to Miakoda.

Miakoda admitted to herself that it was going better than she had expected. She diplomatically changed the subject. "How do you salsa dance again?" she asked.

"It's not that hard," Amber said. "Mostly you just move with the beat." She looked wistfully back over at Tad. "Still, it's a lot more fun with a partner..."

Tad looked back at Maris and smiled weakly. He didn't know whether it was the alcohol, or the fact that it was Valentine's Day, or the glimmer in Maris's eyes, but he found it hard to resist the primal urge to throw up on his date. "I'm not feeling well," he admitted once the song was over.

"Aw, come on," said Maris. Then she looked at Tad's face and decided he was serious. "Okay, we'll go sit down then." She collapsed on one of the leather couches next to Richard and Adara.

Across the club, Calixta poked the lemon at the bottom of her third glass of Coke. (You know,) she thought, (no matter what the ads say, there's only so much fun you can have with a soft drink.) She looked over toward the dance floor. Maybe it wasn't too late to join them...maybe she could go sit on the couch by Adara and Richard, or by Maris and Tad. But Adara and Richard were lost in their own cutesy couple world, and Maris and Tad were laughing over some joke she wasn't in on. (I guess I could go find Amber and Miakoda—no, they're dancing. I hate dancing. In fact, I hate all of them for bringing me here...)

"Hey there," a low voice drawled behind her. "What's a sexy girl like you doing all by yourself on Valentine's Day?"

Calixta gritted her teeth. "Writing a murder mystery," she muttered. ("Blood flowed down Amber's neck in a thick red river. The killer turned toward Adara, swinging a double-bladed battle axe and laughing maniacally.")

"That doesn't sound like very much fun," the stranger said. "Wouldn't you rather dance?"

("The killer turned from Adara to her new victim, a...") Calixta turned to look at the man who had accosted her. ("...gorgeous man with chiseled features and black hair falling into his eyes." Okay, so he's good-looking. Fine. The world could use more attractive corpses.) "No," she said. "I don't dance."

"That's a shame, angel," he said, leaning forward intimately. "Because we could have a really good time."

Calixta's eyes narrowed. "Dancing isn't my idea of a good time." She jumped off the stool and turned away.

"I see how it is," the stranger said. "You have other ideas of fun." He smiled seductively and stroked her bare shoulders. "I can show you a hell of a time tonight, angel," he murmured into her ear. "That is, if you think you can handle it."

"Oh, I can handle you, all right!" Calixta exploded. She turned and drove her elbow into his chin, and as he staggered backwards, she kicked him just beneath the ribcage. He fell to the ground in shock, blood streaming from his mouth.

A crowd began to gather around the scene. The man stood up angrily and moved threateningly toward Calixta, wiping the blood from his mouth. Maris ran up and roughly pushed him away. "Hey, leave her alone!" she shouted.

"What's going on here?" Adara demanded.

"Don't blame me—he started it!" Maris said, pointing to the black-haired man. The two glared tensely at each other until the bouncer came up to them and said quietly, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you will all have to leave."

"Don't apologize," Calixta said. "That's the best news I've heard all day." She turned and headed toward the door, her coworkers close at her heels.

"Care to tell me what that was all about, Lieutenant?" Adara asked once they were outside.

Calixta drew a breath of the cold night air. "No." She looked at Adara and sighed. "But I'll give you a full report in the morning."

Miakoda put her hand on Calixta's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Oh yes, splendid." Calixta noticed Amber standing to the side and added, "Look, just let me lie in peace, all right? I'm sorry I ruined things for everyone, but—just leave me alone. Go find something else to do."

Amber hugged Calixta. "I'm sorry you didn't have a good time," she said sincerely. "Would you rather go to my family's for dinner? My mom would love to have anyone who wanted to come."

Calixta's eyes lit up. "Really? Do you think we could?" She caught herself quickly and added, "I mean—only if it's okay with your parents and everyone else, of course."

"I don't know," Adara demurred, looking at her watch. "It's getting kind of late."

"Then they'll just be getting started," Amber said cheerfully. No one else had any objections, so Amber borrowed Adara's cell phone and called home.

"Hello, Mami?"

"Amber!" Mrs. Ramirez's warm voice came over the line. "When do you come home for dinner?"

"That's just what I was calling about," Amber said. "I have some friends with me, and they wanted to come too."

"Of course, of course," Mrs. Ramirez said. "Your friends are always welcome. How many do you have?"

Amber counted quickly. "Six."

"Good. I'll just cook un poquito más. Adios."

Amber smiled, knowing that "un poquito más" meant enough to feed five armies instead of just one. "Adios, Mami." She handed the cell phone back to Adara. "All right!" she said excitedly. "Get ready to eat!"

------

"Come in!" Mrs. Ramirez pushed back the door. Her eyes stopped on Richard, Tad, and Maris, and they introduced themselves properly. She promptly kissed each of them on the cheek, a custom that took Maris by surprise. "Uh...hi. Good to meet you," she said gruffly.

Tad smiled and hugged Mrs. Ramirez. She smiled back, flattered. "You have such a nice boyfriend—Maris, did you say? The two of you, such a cute couple."

Tad cringed, and the smile faded from his face. (This is just great,) he thought. (This is the worst day of my life. I hate Valentine's Day.)

From the depths of his despair, he heard Maris's loud, clear voice declare, "We're not a couple." A sense of relief flooded through him, and at that moment, he could have kissed her. "No," he agreed firmly. "We're not."

"Oh," said Mrs. Ramirez, clearly disappointed. Then her face brightened. "But wait—I know just the perfect people for you..."

Tad was able to save himself and Maris from Mrs. Ramirez's maternal matchmaking instinct only by quickly declaring how wonderful all the food looked. The flattered Mrs. Ramirez took the bait and began explaining the plate system to her assembled guests.

Everyone piled their plates high with enchiladas, fried rice, and homemade salsa. The room was soon filled with the sounds of eating, conversation, and laughter. Amber watched the scene happily: Richard discussing the stock market with her father, Adara curled up on the couch next to him, Calixta chatting to her mother, and Maris regaling Miakoda with a tale of her exploits at sea. But Tad was standing by himself off to the side of the couch. "Hey Daniels," Amber said.

"Hey Ramirez," he responded. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"You too," she replied warmly. She looked around. "I'm glad everyone's having a good time. Especially Calixta." She leaned back against the wall with a sigh. "I can't believe I didn't see how lonely she was. It was so obvious. What kind of reporter can't see what's right under her nose?"

"A human one," Tad said gently. "Especially one who doesn't usually look down her nose at things."

Amber smiled in spite of herself. "You can't absolve me that easily," she said.

"Well, you know Edgar Allan Poe said that the best place to hide something is out in the open," Tad said lightly. He looked at the beautiful curly-haired woman in front of him, trying to work up the nerve to say what he'd wanted to say for months. "Amber—" He put a hand on her shoulder and swallowed quickly.

"Yes?" Her dark brown eyes looked up at him with curiosity, but no comprehension.

(She really doesn't understand,) Tad thought. (She really can't see it...) "Poe was right," he said abruptly, dropping his hand. "Crazy, but absolutely dead-on right."

"What do you mean?" Amber asked, but Tad was already on the other side of the room, talking to Maris.

"No, you really don't have to take me home," Maris argued.

"It's only polite," Tad replied.

"Well, if you're ready to go, we should probably go, too," Adara said. "Especially considering that your car is back at my house." She stood up and thanked Mrs. Ramirez for the dinner. "Last call for rides back," she said.

"All right," Calixta said, reluctantly extricating herself from a Tekken tournament with two of Amber's brothers. "I guess I should go. But I promise I'll be back to defeat you once and for all," she assured the boys. They grinned, and argued that she would be the ultimate loser.

"How about you, Miakoda?" Adara asked.

"No, I think I'll stay and help clean up," Miakoda said.

"All right," Adara said. "See you tomorrow, then."

The good-bye process took longer than Adara expected, as everyone felt obliged to say good-bye to everyone else, but eventually, there was no one left but Miakoda and the Ramirez family. The younger children and Mr. Ramirez excused themselves to bed, leaving Amber, Mrs. Ramirez, and Miakoda alone in the kitchen.

"I like your friends, Amber," Mrs. Ramirez said as she filled the sink with hot, soapy water. "You should invite them more often. Especially Calixta. Pobrecita, losing her mother like that."

Miakoda looked down at the stack of dishes on the table. "It is hard," she said.

"That girl needs a family," said Mrs. Ramirez decisively. "I don't understand why her father didn't come back. The Navy should not keep him so busy that he forgets about his family."

Miakoda felt a sudden psychic vibration and nearly dropped the dishes she was holding. She looked up and noticed Amber clutching her necklace. Their eyes locked in sudden understanding.

After the dishes were cleared away and the house was set in some semblance of order, Amber took Miakoda aside. "I have an instinct about this," she said. "It doesn't have to do with my powers exactly—it just comes with being a reporter, I guess. You just get hunches sometimes."

"Do you still have the list?" Miakoda asked.

"Not with me, but...oh, wait... Never mind. I do. I almost forgot. I mentioned to Mami a couple of months ago that my filing system in the apartment was overflowing, so she let me take over some of her drawers. I keep a backup copy of the list in this filing cabinet here," Amber said. She took a small key, unlocked the top drawer, and proceeded to remove a slender folder. Miakoda looked over Amber's shoulder as the shorter woman flipped the file open. The top sheet read, "LETHE."

"The river of forgetfulness," said Miakoda. "The classical reference is a nice touch. So was Calixta's father a mem-sweep test subject, or not?"

Amber flipped through the pages. "Let's see... Saunders, Ensign Lea; Smith, Ensign Ellen; Tucker, Commander Samuel. No Solaris. But this isn't a complete list." She slapped the file closed and shoved it back into the drawer. "So, should we tell her?"

"Tell her what?" Miakoda asked bitterly. "We don't know anything."

"But maybe Calixta could find out," Amber argued. "At least, maybe it would give her some hope that her father still loves her after all. I mean—"

"I know," Miakoda sighed. "But it might just worry her, especially if she never knew for sure and couldn't do anything about it. It would eat away at her."

"It's already eating away at her," Amber objected. "Doesn't she have a right to be pointed in the right direction?"

"What if it's a dead end? What if it turns out her father did abandon her and doesn't want to see her again? What then?"

"At least she would know," Amber insisted.

"If we can find proof, we'll tell her," Miakoda said. "If not—she has enough to worry about."

Amber looked at Miakoda rebelliously. "I don't like this," she said.

"I'm not asking you to like it," Miakoda said. "I'm just asking you to think about what this will do to Calixta before you act on your instincts."

"I guess that's fair," Amber said. "I just—I just don't want her to feel unloved."

"I think it's hard to feel unloved when you're around," Miakoda said, smiling.

Amber laughed. "I wish that were true," she said. "But it didn't seem to help tonight. I just wish she could be happy and celebrate holidays without bad memories interfering."

"Well," said Miakoda as she opened the door to leave, "I guess there's always Arbor Day."

---------------------------------------------

Next Episode Preview:

Calixta: "We all have skeletons in our closets, ghosts from the past that show up at the most inconvenient times. Like when someone gives us a nice little computer virus and I'm the only one who can fix it. But I'm not bitter! Just bring me another caramel frappucino and watch me kick ASCII!"

Episode 8: 'Fantasmas.'


	8. Fantasmas

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny

Book 1: New York

Chapter 8: Fantasmas

Authors: OSTOCOM

E-mail and website: see our profile

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See Book 0 for complete disclaimer.

---------------------------------------------

"Spring cleaning," said Maris emphatically, "is for idiots with nothing better to do."

"Shh!" said Adara, searching frantically for the "speakerphone off" button. "She can hear you, you know."

"I-di-ots," Maris repeated.

Calixta's laugh came over the receiver. "Well, if the shoe fits..." she said. "Anyway, I'm not done yet. Do you mind if I come in later today and stay later, Commander Davis? Since it is up to you today..."

"I don't know," Adara sighed. "If the Hawks attack, we really need the computer systems up right away."

"Oh, don't worry about that," said Calixta. "I'll set up an interface link to my computer here. That way I can keep tabs on everything going on up there, and if there's an attack, we have twice the computer power. Plus, it would be a perfect time to upload some of my best fight sims to the holomodule there. Number 12 would be especially helpful, I think. I've noticed we tend to be sluggish with our countermeasures when the Hawks flank us."

"I'm fast enough," growled Maris, her fingers clenched around an Evian water bottle. "It's the rest of you overpaid pansies slowing us down."

"Not according to the holomodule statistics," Calixta said sweetly. "I suggest you take another look and see which 'overpaid pansy' is consistently 1.3 seconds faster than you."

Adara began to see the wisdom of keeping the two of them in separate rooms. "Permission granted," she said quickly. "Just make sure you check in constantly and that you can get here fast in an emergency."

"Will do," Calixta said. "And I've got the spinner right outside."

"Excellent," said Adara. "Keep me informed."

"And have fun cleaning!" said Amber.

"May it be cleansing for your spirit as you purge your dwelling of impurities and bad memories," Miakoda offered.

"Thanks," said Calixta. "I'm sure it will be."

"It'll be so fun!" exclaimed Amber. "I love getting out all the rags and bottles of cleaning stuff, and just cleaning everything!"

Miakoda looked skeptically at Amber's desk, which was littered with pens, papers, half-filled cups of cold coffee, and dirty Tupperware containers that had once housed enchiladas or Mexican rice.

"Well...you know...once a year or so," Amber said defensively. "Anyway, it's fun. Do you need any help? I'm a mean mopper. And dusting! I'm very good at dusting."

"Um...I think I can handle it," Calixta said. "Thanks though. Calixta out."

Adara pushed a button and hung up. "That's that, then," she said.

Amber frowned and fingered a pink crystal on a chain around her neck. "I wonder what she meant by that," she said.

Maris slammed her bottle of Evian on her desk. "I think she meant that someone who starts kicking Lucifer Hawk ass 1.3 seconds faster than I do can probably handle cleaning her own damn apartment."

Adara pinched the wicks of two "Relaxation" aromatherapy candles on her desk. Flames sprung up, and lavender-scented smoke wafted through the air. She sat down and inhaled deeply. It was going to be one of those days.

------

The vacuum cleaner hummed quietly as Calixta pushed it across her living room floor. On the far side of the room, a computer monitor that took up half the wall flashed pictures of the different rooms in ECC Headquarters. Calixta grinned as she watched Maris sharpen a knife and fling it at a picture of a Lucifer Hawk with the caption "Damn Bastard." As Calixta continued vacuuming, she launched into a mock commentary:

"Maris Lynn takes the shot. Turn, flick, and a miss! Oh! Did you see that, Tim? 'Yes, I saw that, Chuck. Blatant miss if I've ever seen one, and I've seen a few in my day...'She couldn't hit the side of the barn! 'More to the point, Chuck, she can't hit the Hawk. This is extremely disappointing from a defensive standpoint.'Yeah, Coach Jameson has to be sweating over this one. Lynn's average is down to 66, and her assists are dismal. What was the ECC thinking? 'It was thinking in terms of a more aggressive offense. The Hawks are only getting stronger, and Lynn has that grit, that 'take no prisoners' mentality.'That's true, Tim, but if she doesn't stop turning it on her teammates... 'It's a typical rookie mistake, Chuck. As the season goes on, she'll start learning to be more of a team player.'Yeah, and it would also help if she could start learning how to aim..."

THUNK. The vacuum cleaner hit the leg of the heavy oak coffee table. Calixta winced. "Touché," she said. She turned the vacuum cleaner off.

"Computer," she commanded, "remove furniture from the main living area." The computer panel on the wall whirred, and the table and two plaid overstuffed couches dissolved into pixels of light. "Thanks," Calixta said, and resumed vacuuming.

A few minutes later, she was finished. She stowed the vacuum cleaner in a small closet down the hall. "Computer," she called. The computer beeped in response. "Open files Sectional2.real and Table3.real. Layout pattern Beta 5." By the time Calixta returned to the living room, a cream-colored sectional and a round glass coffee table adorned the room.

"Well, that's that," said Calixta. "Time for a snack." She went into the kitchen, got a bottle of lemonade out of the refrigerator, and slid some bread into a gleaming metal toaster. "Toast and lemonade," she said. "The true cuisine—the perfect combination of art and nature. Magnifique!" Calixta kissed her fingertips as the bread popped out of the toaster, warm and golden brown. "But enough gastronomic snobbery. Back to work you go."

She returned to the living room and stretched out on the couch, munching the toast and letting the lemonade bottle dangle from her hand. "Computer, display all files on the holomodule database."

The computer obeyed. Row after row of file names filled the screen, pushing the videos of the ECC into a smaller and smaller area and finally eclipsing them altogether. Still more files popped onto the monitor, forcing the screen to scroll ?" Calixta said nervously. "How many files are there?"

A polite, slightly digitized version of her voice responded, "Three thousand one hundred eighty-four."

"Aarrrggg!" Calixta screamed. She slammed her lemonade bottle on the table and buried her face in one of the couch cushions. "I hate spring cleaning!"

------

Amber stood by the sink in the break room, scrubbing her Tupperware containers vigorously. "I really need to start keeping things cleaner," she said. "I'm becoming such a slob."

Miakoda smiled, stretching her long legs out in front of her. "It isn't too bad," she said diplomatically.

Amber's crystal cooled slightly against her skin, and she frowned. "See, it's true!" she shouted. "I've completely let myself go—even you think so. Don't lie to me!"

Miakoda's shoulders tensed as she tried to think of how to express herself both politely and truthfully. She stopped suddenly as she felt a familiar uneasiness, like the flutter of an owl's wings. "Something's wrong," she said.

Amber's frustration faded into anxiety. "Is it a Hawk?"

"I don't know." Miakoda stood and slipped out of the room like a shadow. Amber followed her into the main office, where Adara leaned over the security monitor, looking perplexed. "What's wrong?" Miakoda asked.

"I'm not sure," said Adara. "It's like something was there, and then it wasn't."

"I'm getting a strange feeling too," Miakoda said. "It's not a good sign."

"All right, I'll review the security logs." Adara settled behind the security console. "Amber, dial Calixta's number. Put her on speakerphone."

"Yes, ma'am." Amber strode over to the desk and dialed.

"Hello, Commander," Calixta said. "Is there a problem?"

"Maybe," Adara replied. "I'm looking at the energy readouts for the security field. There was a brief spike two minutes ago, and then nothing. Internal sweeps show nothing unusual. It almost looks like a glitch."

"Maybe it is," Calixta said. "Let me take a look." Adara heard the clicking of keys, and then Calixta responded again. "Yeah, it looks like the computer just overcompensated for an unusually high energy reading, probably a power surge. I doubt it's anything to worry about, but I'll keep an eye on it anyway. Over and out."

------

The barriers had not been easy to overcome. But then, he hadn't expected them to be. If the ECC Headquarters were easily penetrated, he might have to think ill of his enemy, and that would be a shame. Still, he was glad it hadn't been too much trouble. The access codes had been most helpful....

The Lucifer Hawk smiled to himself. An odd sensation, smiling. It was something he only did while in human form, and he still wasn't used to it. He allowed his face to melt back into its natural grimace as he contacted his supervisor. "Are you clear?" he whispered.

"As crystal," a silky-smooth voice replied. "How was the mission, Zervax?"

"Your virus has been successfully uploaded," Zervax reported.

"Good. Let me know exactly how it performs," the voice ordered. "It's a prototype, so I want to know exactly what it can do."

"Understood." Zervax looked up at ECC Headquarters and watched the lights flicker off. "I don't think you'll be disappointed."

"I'm sure I won't. Over and out." The transceiver crackled. Zervax turned it off and stared with pleasure at the darkened building. For some reason, he found it easier to smile now.

------

Maris shut the door to the holomodule behind her and removed her training gun. She wasn't a fan of guns, really, and she definitely wasn't a fan of the holomodule, but damned if she was going to let Calixta stay 1.3 seconds faster. True, her attacks were more powerful than Calixta's, but she wanted the special satisfaction of beating the computer specialist at her own game. "Um, Computer?" she said.

The computer bleeped expectantly. "Open a kick-ass simulation...please?" Maris wasn't exactly sure about the correct protocol for talking to computers, but she figured it couldn't hurt to be polite.

"File not found," the computer said.

"Oh, come on!" Maris pulled a water bottle out of her second holster and held it up threateningly. "Do what I say or your motherboard gets it!"

"Aggression is futile," the computer chirped.

"Like hell it is!" Maris snapped. "You're telling me you can't open a Lucifer Hawk simulation, you junkyard heap of—"

"Please specify file number," the computer interrupted.

Maris thought for a moment and shouted, "Two!"

"Opening LHAttack2.sim," the computer announced. A busy intersection appeared around Maris, and crowds of people pushed past her. She turned and watched for the Hawk. Her eyes caught a flicker of movement, and she swung her gun that direction. "Gotcha!" she shouted as she focused the targeting scanner on the misshapen head of the Category Two. Just as she was about to pull the trigger, the lights in the holomodule went out.

"Computer, I need lights!" Maris shouted. The room stayed dark, however, and Maris could still hear the noise of traffic and the smug hissing of the Lucifer Hawk. "Lights, dammit!" Her eyes had started adjusting to the darkness, but she was more than a little disturbed by the computer's lack of response.

"Hello, Adara?" Maris tapped the communicator on her jacket. "Hello?" Again, no response.

"To hell with this," Maris muttered. She cocked her gun and began backing slowly toward the door. "Computer, end program."

Nothing happened. Maris watched nervously as the glowing red eyes of the Category Two came closer. She fired several shots, but they only served to anger the Hawk and make it accelerate toward her even faster. Finally, Maris pushed the controls to the door, but the door stayed shut.

"Shit!" shouted Maris, beginning to panic in spite of herself. She pounded on the door and pushed buttons frantically, but nothing she did had any effect. "Let me out of here!"

------

Adara took a moment to stack her papers neatly, then picked up her ink pen and resumed writing. "Lieutenant Solaris and Ensign Ramirez formed an effective perimeter defense, thus allowing Lieutenant Nakai the time needed to call upon the owl spirit—" Suddenly the lights went out. Adara opened her left hand, and a small flame lit the room.

"Miakoda?" she called. "Amber? Maris?" She received no response, so she tapped her communicator again. "Calixta, report." Still nothing. She picked up the phone, but there was no dial tone. "Not good," she muttered under her breath as she swiftly exited her office. Amber and Miakoda met her in the hallway with flashlights.

"It seems strange that the power would go out," Amber commented. "There hasn't been a storm or anything."

"Do you think it's just an overload?" Miakoda asked.

"I'm not sure," Adara said grimly. "But the communication system's down, so our first priority is to make sure we're all present and accounted for. Where's Maris?"

"In the holomodule, I think," Amber replied.

"Fine," Adara said. "Now I just want to check on Calixta." She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number. "Hi, we have problems," she said. "The comm system is down, and so is the power."

"I noticed," Calixta replied. "The last thing I saw were the lights going off, and then the video monitors went out. So is anything still working?"

Adara looked over at the computers, which still gave off light. "The computers are still up. Security's good. Do you think it was just a surge or a power outage?"

"The restaurant across the street still has lights," Amber piped up.

"If it had been something like that, it should have affected everything," Calixta said worriedly. "I don't like the sound of this. Hang on a sec." Adara heard the clicks and blips of a computer, followed by irritated mumblings in Spanish and French.

"Well, the video monitor's gone out completely," Calixta announced. "I can't get it to come back. And I'm not getting very clear readings from my computer either. I'll be over in a few minutes and see if I can figure out what went wrong."

"All right, see you then." Adara hung up. "Well, there's no sense in splitting up," she told her subordinates. "Follow me." She turned on her heel and led the way to the holomodule room.

As the three got closer, they heard gunshots and muffled swearing.

"Are you all right?" Miakoda asked as they stopped in front of the door.

"No!" Maris shouted. "I'm stuck!"

Adara pushed the emergency control, and the door slid open a crack before starting to slide closed again.

"Nauticus, come to me!" Maris shouted, quickly tossing some water through the diminishing opening. Her teammates jumped back as the large water sword formed. Maris twisted Nauticus quickly, and the sword jammed the door open a few inches.

/Ms. Lynn?/ came the sword's tentative voice. /Being stuck like this is terribly unsettling./

"Suck it up, Nauticus," Maris said through gritted teeth. "Hey, help me out here, will you?" she called to her teammates. Amber and Miakoda began trying to pull the automatic door farther open.

"I think it's working!" Amber exclaimed. She braced her foot against the doorjamb and continued pulling the door. Adara joined in their efforts, and the door opened several more inches. Amber pushed her back against the door, but as she did so, the door began closing again, and she lost her balance and tumbled into the holomodule suite, falling on top of Maris. Adara and Miakoda moved their hands quickly as the door slammed shut.

Amber scrambled up and apologetically handed Nauticus back to Maris. "Well, fuck," said the blonde sailor as she let the water sword dissipate into thin air. "This isn't exactly what I had in mind."

The truthsayer shrugged and smiled pleasantly. "Suck it up, Maris," she advised.

------

Calixta jumped out of the spinner and held her door card up to the scanner. A red light flashed, and "Access Denied" appeared on the screen. "All right, we'll do this the hard way," Calixta said. She punched in code after code, but the computer steadfastly refused to recognize any of them. She removed the cover of the scanner and inspected the circuitry. Everything seemed fine as far as hardware went, so why…?

The redhead briefly contemplated blasting the doors away entirely, but figured that would just cause more problems than it would solve. "Calixta to Adara," she said into her communicator. The communicator crackled with static. "Right," Calixta said. "That's why I should get a cell phone. I hate cell phones, but I should get one anyway. Oh well."

She shrugged and tried kicking the door. Nothing happened. "Didn't figure," she mumbled. "But these things are always worth a try."

Calixta reentered the spinner and programmed a course back to her apartment. Maybe she could access the systems from her computer. At any rate, at least her apartment had a phone that wasn't connected to the ECC communication system. As the spinner lifted off, Calixta began mentally composing a list of "Security Updates and Changes to be Implemented ASAP." While she was at it, she started making a list of "Caffeinated Products to Buy."

------

Adara kicked the door to the holomodule repeatedly, but it remained unyielding. "It's times like these that I wish I could swear in Yiddish," she said. "I should have paid better attention in synagogue."

"I don't exactly think that's the place to pick up that kind of vocabulary," Miakoda pointed out.

"True," Adara sighed. Just then, an alarm rang and a staticky computer voice said, "Ed Aler. Sekkkty Breeee—" The message terminated in a resonating, high-pitched screech. Miakoda and Adara covered their ears.

"Great," said Adara. "Now we have a security breach. And there are no lights. And no sign of Calixta. And I've lost two officers to the holomodule of doom. Of all the days for the chief to have gone out of town and left me in charge."

"You're doing fine," Miakoda assured her.

"I still want backup," Adara said, and began dialing Calixta's home number.

"Look out!" Miakoda shouted, firing her gun at a large Lucifer Hawk that was beginning to slide through the wall in front of them.

Adara instinctively formed fireballs in her hands, and winced as her cell phone caught on fire and fell to the floor. Furious, she picked up the charred black device and threw it at the Hawk. "And on top of everything, I still can't swear in Yiddish!" she yelled.

"Schmuck?" Miakoda offered helpfully.

"SCHMUCK!" Adara shouted as she hurled flames at the Hawk.

------

Amber leaned against the door of the holomodule and flashed her light around the room. "So, the simulation is still running?"

"Yep," said Maris tiredly. "It won't turn off. And the damn Hawk won't die, no matter how many times I shoot it."

"Well, where is it now?" Amber asked, raising her gun as she continued sweeping the room with her flashlight.

"There!" Maris shouted, pointing. She frowned as she took aim. "It looks different, though…"

"There's another one!" Amber shouted, aiming at a Category Two across the room.

"What the fuck?" Maris exclaimed. "There was only one before!"

"I wonder how it got here," Amber mused as she fired.

"I…don't…care!" Maris shouted as she emptied her clip into the first Hawk's chest. "All I care about is getting it out of here!"

"Um…that might be kind of hard," said Amber, pointing up to a swarm of Category Threes that had suddenly appeared overhead.

------

The first thing Calixta saw when she came home was her brother and sister sitting on the couch. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. "I didn't open you."

"We just came to say hi," said the red-haired boy of eighteen. He smiled disarmingly and leaned back on the couch. "So how've you been?"

"Okay, first of all, you're dead," Calixta said, pointing at him. "And secondly, you hate me." She stared accusingly at the smiling fourteen-year-old girl, who was twirling her sandy-brown hair through her fingers.

"Hate is the wrong word, really," her sister said, staring up at her with wide hazel eyes.

"Whatever," Calixta snapped. "Computer, please close files Jean-Marc.char and Anna.char." At that command, her siblings vanished. Calixta sighed. "On second thought, it was kind of nice to see you again. Computer, please reopen files Jean-Marc.char and Anna.char."

The computer made a horrible crunching noise, and a distinguished middle-aged man in a Navy dress uniform appeared in front of her. "Umm…Computer? I didn't ask to see my father—although it's nice of you and everything, but—"

The hologram of her father flickered and faded into nothingness. "That's nice," Calixta said bitterly. "It's just like you to disappear again. And really, this shouldn't be happening. Computer, do you have any idea what's going on?" The computer blipped, and Calixta thought it sounded just as confused as she felt. "Right. Stupid question. Well, something is wrong here."

She picked up the phone and dialed Adara's cell phone number. "This number is temporarily unavailable," a mechanized voice announced.

Calixta slammed the phone down, stormed over to her computer, and began typing furiously. "Something had better start going right here!" she shouted, scanning the screens for a clue to the puzzle. She heard a hissing noise behind her, and looked up to see a small, pixilated Category Three hovering above her head.

"Computer, end simulation!" Calixta commanded. The Hawk faded slightly, but remained present. "Or things could just keep getting worse!" shouted the frustrated computer specialist. "That works too!"

------

"Going…to…kill…her!" Adara muttered as she continued flaming the Hawk. "Schmuck, schmuck, schmuck!"

"I'm sure Calixta's working on the problem," Miakoda said, wearily continuing to shoot at her elusive opponent.

"She had better be!" Adara shouted. "And she'd better be okay too, because if she's dead, I'll kill her!"

"Right," Miakoda said, adjusting the trajectory of her shots as the Hawk moved again.

"You poor foolish humans," said the Hawk. "So alone…so frail…"

"That's it!" the auburn-haired fire elemental snapped. "Let's show him how 'frail' we really are, Lieutenant."

Miakoda nodded and pulled a bundle of sage out of the medicine bag around her neck. "Light this." Adara shot a thin flame at the sage, and fragrant smoke filled the air. Miakoda closed her eyes and drew her arms inward. "Kindred wolf, servant of the Great Spirit, in my hour of need, come!" she intoned, flinging her arms wide at the last word.

A wind seemed to blow through the room, followed by a feral howl that sent a chill up Adara's spine. She watched transfixed as the ethereal figure of a wolf ran across the room and pounced on the Hawk, fangs bared.

The Hawk let out a wild scream and fell to the floor in a pool of black blood. Adara took advantage of the moment to engulf the Hawk in flames. Its body contorted to form the sign of infinity, and then disappeared. "There," Adara said, satisfied.

"You realize that with the security breach, there are probably more out there," Miakoda said, breathing heavily.

Adara sighed and held a small fireball out in front of her. "Come on," she said. "Let's go Hawk hunting."

------

Amber quickly pushed another plasma cartridge into her gun and then brought it up, firing repeatedly across the ceiling of the holomodule. Several of the Category Threes fell to the floor.

"Not bad," Maris admitted. "But we've got bigger Hawks to fry." She gestured toward the two Category Twos.

Amber leaned tiredly against the wall. "It'd be nice if they'd let up a bit."

"Well, they're not going to," Maris said gruffly. She looked over at her bedraggled coworker, and her face softened a bit. "But yeah, it'd be nice." She clapped Amber on the shoulder. "Okay, let's fire together on two. One…two!"

They fired repeatedly at the closest Hawk. "Two?" Amber inquired as she continued shooting.

"It throws the bastards off guard," Maris laughed. "They're always expecting three."

Amber grinned, but her smile faded as a man with faded red hair attired in a Navy dress uniform appeared in front of them. "Who are you?" she demanded, confused.

The man looked back at her, dazed. "I don't understand."

"Think he's a Category One?" Maris asked, readying her gun.

"I don't know," Amber replied. "I can't read him at all."

The Hawk at the far end of the room sensed an easy meal and began moving toward the man. "Move!" Amber shouted, but by the time the man looked up, the Hawk had already clamped its jaws around his head.

Without warning, the man suddenly transformed into an apron-clad woman, then into a bookshelf, and finally into a denim beanbag chair. The Hawk looked down, perplexed. Maris and Amber blinked.

"What the hell?" Maris said, starting to laugh. "What was that?"

"I think something's wrong with the holomodule," Amber replied.

"You think?" Maris said sarcastically. "You don't get much more wrong than this."

"At least it worked in our favor this time," Amber pointed out.

Just then, the Hawk by the beanbag roared, furious at being deprived of a meal. It began advancing toward them, hunger in its eyes. The second Hawk apparently had the same idea, and the two began converging on the trapped ECC members.

"Or not," Maris muttered. She stepped back and found herself against the wall with nowhere else to go. As she raised her gun, she noticed that she was running out of ammunition. The cartridge she had in the gun would only be good for two or three more shots. She had one more after that. And after that...she swallowed and prepared to make her last desperate stand. "Ready, Amber?" she asked, looking over toward her teammate.

Before she could react, Amber had taken the gun from her hands and started running straight toward the Hawks. "Amber!" Maris shouted. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

------

"What are you doing?" Calixta shouted as the Category Three moved closer. "You stupid machine! Computer, open file gun4.sim." There was a shimmer of light, and two short trident-shaped swords appeared on the floor. Calixta picked them up and shrugged. "Sais matters not," she said philosophically.

As she went into a fighting stance, a short man of about twenty with a blond crew cut appeared suddenly in the path of the Category Three. The Hawk swerved toward him, and he began panicking and backing toward Calixta.

"Hey Jared, make yourself useful or get out of the way," Calixta said irritably. Jared obligingly ducked as Calixta's whirled the sais impressively around and through the Hawk. The Hawk spurted dark blue blood and fell to the floor, dead.

Calixta bowed with mock ceremony and wiped the sweat off her forehead. "How about that?" she said. "I proved myself, didn't I? You never thought I could fight, but you were wrong. You thought I was too weak, too geeky, too emotional to be able to fight. Well, I can fight. I fight for a living. I defend the world. And what do you do? Where are you now? Still teaching tae kwon do at the local YMCA? Still trying to make it onto a professional hockey team? You're pathetic. I can't believe I was ever upset that you left! You know what? If you came up to me right now and begged me for the chance to rekindle our relationship, I wouldn't be interested at all."

"Good…um…because I'm not interested," Jared said.

"Why not?" Calixta demanded. "What's wrong with me—what's wrong with you? Why—oh, this is ridiculous! Computer, delete file Jared.char."

"Command error," the computer announced in a staticky voice. "Command not recognized."

"What?" Calixta exclaimed. "It's not like it's disguised itself or something." She sat back down at the computer and tried to enter the command manually. An error message appeared on the screen. Calixta frowned. "No...the commands are being bypassed , somehow. No wonder all this weird stuff has been happening. You have a virus, poor thing. Okay. Let me put you to sleep." She tried to shut down the computer, but it wouldn't respond.

"Come on!" The computer specialist clutched her head in her hands. "Work with me. Talk to me!"

"Work with me. Talk to me!" a pleading voice echoed.

Calixta turned around, startled. Where Jared had stood, there was now a sixteen-year-old boy with wide blue eyes and aquamarine hair falling just past his cheekbones.

"Antonio…" Calixta whispered.

------

"Amber!" Maris shouted desperately. "Don't be an idiot!"

Amber didn't listen; she simply slipped in between the two Hawks. "Excuse me!" she said politely. Once she was on the opposite side, she smiled and drew her gun and the gun she had taken from Maris and pointed one at each of the Hawks. "Please leave my friend alone," she said.

The Hawks turned toward her with sinister smiles. "Foolish human," said the first. "You should not have interfered."

"We do not make exceptions," said the second. "Compassion is for the weak, not for those who would survive."

"What good is surviving in a world without compassion?" Amber asked angrily, and fired. The guns had a stronger kick than she had expected, but she kept shooting. The Hawks shook as she hit her marks repeatedly, and they suffered further damage as Maris swung around in front of them, slicing at them with the only weapon she had left, Nauticus.

"I can't keep this up much longer," Maris said.

"It's okay," Amber said. "Save your strength for a spell."

"You think I haven't thought of that?" Maris shouted. "But spells don't work on holographic Hawks."

"Right, and neither do my truthsaying powers," Amber said. "But they worked on that one." She nodded toward the second Hawk. "He's real."

Maris grinned and raised the water sword in front of her.

/Hear me, Charybdis/

/She who drives men into the depths/

/Swallow your enemy/

/In your eternal shadow.../

Tendrils of water began swirling upward from the Hawk's feet. It tried to move, but seemed inexplicably frozen to the spot. Maris's blue eyes seemed to glow with the ancient anger of the sea as she continued the spell:

/Unleash your rage/

/Upon the foolish adventurer/

/Bachtesh lethathian crythelianis/

/Lythtesh torothian urethianis!/

The water flowed faster, encircling the Hawk and engulfing it in a giant whirlpool. Amber fired a shot into the center of the raging vortex. The whirlpool shot upward in a great column to the ceiling and then vanished, leaving no trace of the Hawk. Maris grinned triumphantly. "Got him!" she shouted.

"Your tricks are useless," said the holographic Lucifer Hawk smugly. "You can't 'get me' that way."

"Good thing we have a few more tricks up our sleeves," Maris replied.

"Well, so do I," retorted the Hawk as it grew two feet taller and fierce-looking spikes began pushing through the skin along its arms.

------

Calixta looked warily at the latest hologram to appear before her. "Well, your timing is as terrible as always," she said. "I think you practice it. Anyway, I'm going to shut you down as soon as the holomodule's working again. In the meantime, just leave me alone."

Antonio nodded. He looked around Calixta's apartment with undisguised curiosity. "Oh hey, you kept the toaster!" he said delightedly. "Do you remember making that toaster for our science project? It took forever to make. And getting the nanobots to cooperate was so tricky—it took us forever to get them to accept repair commands from the main processor—"

"Whose idea was it to make a self-repairing toaster anyway?" Calixta interrupted.

"I can't remember," he replied. "I just remember it took forever. Remember all those late nights we spent working on it?"

"How could I forget?" Calixta said. "I remember everything—even the things I wish I could forget."

"Like me?"

"I don't know." She turned away. "Look, I'm sorry. I really need to get back to work."

Antonio moved in front of her computer. "Why did you run away that night?"

"I really need to get back to work." She focused on the screen, trying to ignore the pleading blue eyes.

He reached out to touch her hand, but his fingers slipped ghostlike through her skin. "Don't you love me, Roja?"

"How can you ask that?" Calixta demanded, a sudden harsh note in her voice. "What right do you have to talk about love?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, leaning forward earnestly. "I love you. Why isn't that enough to make things work?"

"I guess some things just can't repair themselves," Calixta replied. "But there are some things I can fix, like this virus problem. Excuse me." She maneuvered her chair so that her back was to Antonio, and proceeded to type, her mind absorbed in solving the problem in front of her and ignoring the one behind her.

------

Adara stepped into the main office. The light from the fire in her hand was enough to cast long, ominous shadows over the empty room, but not enough to offer her any comfort. She let out her breath slowly. "Well, I don't see anything—"

"There!" Miakoda shouted, pointing to a bulbous black mass emerging from the table holding the dimly lit computer.

"It's too risky to use my fire powers here," Adara said. "You'll have to shoot. Carefully."

Miakoda took aim at the Hawk as it paused in front of the computer. "Do you trust me not to move?" it asked wryly. It teleported to a spot near the ceiling and back again in an instant. "You shouldn't."

"I never did," Miakoda said. She closed her eyes briefly, and a golden brown shield appeared around the computer systems.

"Ah, of course," the Hawk said, teleporting to random locations as it attempted to avoid Miakoda's carefully fired shots. "You would protect that, wouldn't you? After all, technology is the only thing that separates you humans from us. It's a thin metal shell protecting your fragile race. But when the shell cracks—" A thin fissure appeared on the computer screen, and it began to spark. "What is left to protect you from your own weaknesses?"

"I guess you could say we're the last line of defense," Adara said, smiling as she pulled out her gun.

"You are indeed the last," the Hawk replied, hovering menacingly above her.

Everyone became too engaged in fighting to notice the messages appearing on the still-functioning computer screen: "FILE CHIRON.EXE DETECTED. FILE DELETED."

------

"Deleted?" Calixta exclaimed. "Arg! That was my best antivirus too!" She stood up and began pacing furiously across the room. "It should have at least shut down the system or something, even if it didn't exactly fix the problem. What now? I hate this! I hate computers! They're the spawn of Satan!" The computer blipped. "Oh, not you," Calixta said, patting the screen reassuringly. "I love you. I just hate you too, that's all."

She sighed and reviewed the file activity quickly. "Well, no wonder the antivirus didn't work—the computer couldn't even recognize it as a file! The command code got corrupted before the antivirus could even take effect. And there's nothing I can do about it. Unless...."

"Unless what?" Antonio asked, peering intently at the computer screen.

"Unless the commands replicated themselves faster than the virus could destroy them," Calixta replied excitedly. "Don't you see? It's just like the toaster—in a way. Making things repair themselves. It's a good idea."

"If it works," Antonio said.

"Right," Calixta said, quickly turning back to the computer. "If it works."

"You can make anything work," Antonio said. "At least, if you really want to." He traced her chin gently with his index finger and turned her face toward his. "Do you want—?" He leaned down toward her, and their lips met almost involuntarily.

Calixta pulled away. "I'm sorry—I..."

Her eyes opened and she saw a Lucifer Hawk standing where Antonio had been. "Love is your greatest weakness," it said, smirking.

"Well, your heart's not so strong, either," Calixta retorted as she grabbed a sai and jammed it through the Hawk's chest. The Hawk flickered and turned back into Antonio, who promptly collapsed on the floor, clutching his heart. Blood seeped over his fingers.

"I...I'm sorry," Calixta said uselessly. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, but she swallowed hard to keep from crying. (It's not even real,) she chided herself. (But it used to be.... Now I only have this shadow, this phantom reality. Is this all my skill is good for—a game of make-believe?)

"No," she said resolutely, turning back to her computer. Her fingers raced over the keyboard as she began reprogramming the antivirus.

------

"Oh shit!" Maris shouted as the Hawk swung its arm at her. She didn't have time to get out of the way, and she winced as the club-like arm collided with her ribcage. The spikes on the Hawk's arm scraped against her skin, drawing blood. Maris instinctively jumped away, rolling backwards.

"All right, Amber," Maris said as she pulled out Nauticus, "back me up here. And how about lobster when we're finished?"

"How about now?" said Amber, smiling as she picked up on the obscure hint. She pulled out her guns and charged at the Hawk as Maris came from the other side in a pincer attack. Nauticus sliced through the Hawk, and Amber's cartridges made multiple indentations in its skin.

"You—" it spat out, hunched over as its skin slowly regenerated. "You really think you can—?" And that was all it got out before it flashed out of existence.

"Program ended," the computer announced. The holomodule doors slid open, and Maris rushed headlong through opening, with Amber close behind her. Once they were safely outside, Maris threw her arm around her teammate's shoulder. "That was some good backup, Ramirez," she said appreciatively. "How about I buy you dinner tonight?"

"Lobster?" Amber asked hopefully.

Maris hesitated. "Well...as long as you don't put salsa on it, or something gross like that."

"Fine with me," Amber said. "Let's go find the others."

The two walked up the stairs toward the main office, running faster as they heard gunshots coming from the main office. They burst in and found their teammates in a gunfight with a large Lucifer Hawk. "Here comes the cavalry!" Amber announced, brandishing her guns.

"Just as long as we don't have to clean up after it," Maris muttered.

"Good timing," Adara said, ignoring Maris's comment. "Let's form a perimeter defense."

"Spare your efforts for our next encounter," said the Lucifer Hawk. It folded its arms and disappeared.

"That's it?" Maris said. "The scrawny little wimp just up and left on us?"

"We'd better double-check," said Miakoda. "Computer, are there any Lucifer Hawks in the building?"

"Negative," said the computer, its voice crackling slightly.

Maris eyed it skeptically. "You sure?"

"I'm not sensing anything either," Miakoda said.

"Well...I guess that's all right then," said Maris. "Still, it's a damn shame. We could've taken them." Her obvious weariness belied her bravado, but no one called her on it.

Adara collapsed into the chair next to the computer. "Oh, good," she said tiredly. "Communication's back up. Hey, Calixta."

"Hey," responded an equally tired Calixta. "You all okay?"

"Fine," said Adara. "What happened?"

"We got hit by a nasty virus," Calixta replied. "We need to upgrade our security measures. Again. And I want my pay quadrupled starting now."

"I'll run it by Mackenzie," Adara said. "In the meantime, I need you over here to assess the damage and help secure the building for the night."

"Fine," Calixta said. "I'll be over in a few minutes. There's just something I need to take care of first. Over and out."

------

Calixta knelt down next to Antonio and gently brushed his hair away from his face. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She crossed his arms over his chest and stood up. "Computer, delete file Antonio.char."

Calixta watched as the pixels of light dissolved, and she remembered a stanza of a poem by Pablo Neruda:

"Meanwhile there grows in the shadow  
of the long passage through oblivion  
the flower of solitude, moist, extensive,  
like the earth in a long winter."

She had come so far, and she still couldn't forget. Yet there was nothing left of her past but phantoms, ghosts, fantasies. Nothing real or substantial. And solitude was not a flower without thorns. It wasn't nearly as hopeful as Neruda made it sound, especially if spring never came...

"Enough," Calixta said. She selected several files, mostly old simulations of people and dreams she should have given up on long ago, and moved them to a new folder.

"Computer," said Calixta, "please delete the contents of the folder 'Fantasmas.'"

"Files deleted," the computer announced. Calixta sat staring at her holomodule. Finally she sighed and said, "Despues de la muerte, la muerte de los sueños hay solo la memoria y el silencio." (After death, the death of dreams, there is only memory and silence.)

The scent of a remembered shadow lingered in the air and silence suspended itself expectantly. Calixta laughed suddenly. "What's the use?" she asked bitterly. "You'll still be here when I get back."

She left for work, shutting the door softly behind her. The click of the door echoed like a revolver shot, but the ghosts of the past refused to fall dead.

---------------------------------------------

Next Episode Preview:

Adara: "The Lucifer Hawks change their tactics once again, and we find ourselves in yet another fight for our lives. What could be so important about a seemingly abandoned mall? A slight chill creeps in as events spiral out of control almost faster than we can handle."

Episode 9: Fugue


	9. Fugue

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny

Book 1: New York

Chapter 9: Fugue

Authors: OSTOCOM

Email: 

Rating: PG-13 for language and frozen bodies (and maybe a bad pun or two)

Disclaimer: See Book 0

Special Note: Please be aware that as the Silent Crisis happened in 1999 in this universe, the timeline changed, and September 11th and subsequent wars never occurred.

---------------------------------------------

Mackenzie was always impressed by Capitol Hill. The gleaming white buildings and perfectly manicured green lawns were a testament to the fact that order existed in a world where sometimes everything seemed on the brink of chaos. (The heart of a strong nation lies here,) she thought to herself. (Though I might not agree with everything that has been done, we are still a good country. Our ideals of freedom and democracy have spread throughout the world since the Silent Crisis, and I think we're closer to world peace now than we ever were before.)

The Hill wasn't quite where she was headed today, however, much as she would have liked to stay. Instead she had the taxi drive on, over the Potomac River, and head for another building that she found herself spending more and more time in. From the ground, it didn't look that impressive to her. Simply rows upon rows of windows set into a long brick face. Absolutely the same, no matter where she looked. But she knew from the air, the sight was awe-inspiring as one got a great look at how the building had received its name. The Pentagon, headquarters of the Department of Defense.

She passed the security check easily and pinned on her visitor's badge before heading automatically to the familiar third-floor meeting room. (In fact,) she thought with a frown, (I don't think we've ever had these conferences in any room but that one. You'd think they could vary things a little… Then again these are admirals and generals, known for their love of procedures.)

She entered the room with a curt nod to its only other occupant, one of the aides to General Cragstern, the Army's Chief of Staff. The young man was a First Lieutenant and, if the rumors were true, currently involved in a somewhat scandalous affair with the General's daughter. Mackenzie shook her head slightly, amused that she had even bothered to pay attention.

One by one the various heads of the military and their aides filed into the room. Mackenzie greeted them as they entered; she had been to enough of these meeting to know almost everyone. She grew confused, however, as the one man she was most expecting to see did not enter. Admiral Farshtad, the Chief of Naval Operations and her superior officer, was noticeably absent.

The Chairman stood at the head of the large oak table and cleared his throat. "As I'm sure you all have noticed, Admiral Farshtad is not with us today. I regret to inform you that he has tendered his resignation, effective immediately. As you can imagine, this left us in quite a bind as we scrambled to find a replacement."

He nodded toward an aide at the back of the room, who opened the door and admitted two men. Mackenzie stared in shock for a few moments before she managed to compose herself.

"This is Admiral Peter Melcastle, the Navy's new CNO. With him is his new Vice-Chief, Captain Damien Marshall," the Chairman said as the two men strode to the front of the room. Mackenzie knew Marshall, of course, so she spent her time looking over the new Chief of Naval Operations. He was tall, around 5'11 or 6', and had slightly stocky frame that she guessed was more muscle than anything else. His dark hair was cut neat and very short, but there were a few tufts of gray at the side that lent him a more distinguished look. His dark turquoise eyes flickered as he surveyed the room.

"Welcome to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gentlemen," the Chairman continued as he smiled and shook their hands. "Now, if you'll take your seats, we can begin the meeting. The first order of business is Commander Jameson's report on the unexplained attack at ECC headquarters last week. Commander, if you would?"

Mackenzie rose smoothly out of her seat and advanced to the front of the room. "Last week," she began seriously, "an unexplained virus somehow managed to infiltrate our extensive computer network. The result was a complete decay of command-level functions as well as a break-down of the security net. Headquarters was infiltrated by several enemy agents, and two of my officers were stranded in the holomodule as it went haywire due to the virus's effects. Lieutenant Solaris reported that her personal holomodule was also experiencing difficulties.

"Since the Lieutenant was unable to enter headquarters due to the virus's effects and the automatic security lockdown, she attempted to repair the problem remotely, through her home link with the ECC database. Eventually, she was successful. The results are detailed in my official report."

The officers seated around the table each opened a brown folder sitting in front of them, looking over its contents briefly and making notes. Mackenzie paused for a few moments before she continued.

"As you can see, the damage was fairly significant. However, repairs are proceeding in a timely fashion, and Lieutenant Solaris's anti-virus has already repaired most of the damage to the system. Building repairs will be completed within an estimated four days. Lieutenants Solaris and Nakai have also combined their efforts to effectively increase security in our immediate vicinity in the hopes that another attack like this will not be possible in the future."

Mackenzie spent a few minutes answering questions before being allowed to return to her seat. The rest of the meeting went as such meetings tended to go. She reported briefly on the overall state of the ECC's progress as the others took notes and nodded. When she asked for more funding, several arguments broke out and finally a compromise was reached. All in all, a typical example of modern bureaucracy. It was the confrontation after the meeting that held Mackenzie's focus for the rest of the day.

After most of the men had left, she walked over to where Melcastle and Marshall were chatting softly. "Gentlemen," she said cordially.

"Ah, Commander Jameson," Marshall greeted her with a smile. "I'd like to personally introduce you to Admiral Peter Melcastle. Admiral, this is my longtime friend and the commander of the Equine Clean-up and Control, Commander Mackenzie Jameson. She's the best there is, aren't you, James?"

Mackenzie nodded politely. "If you say so, sir. I must admit, I was surprised to see you walk in today. You hadn't mentioned anything this big to me."

Melcastle laughed. "It came as a bit of a surprise to all of us, Commander. Who would've thought Farshtad would retire so suddenly? I've worked with Captain Marshall before, he's a good man. I knew I wanted him to be my second when they asked me to take the position."

"Congratulations, both of you. I'm sure your new posts will suit you well." She turned to walk away, but a hand on her arm stopped her.

"Wait a minute, James. We actually have something to discuss with you concerning a recent engagement your team participated in. The one in the old Manhattan district?"

Mackenzie knitted her eyebrows. "I'm afraid I don't understand, sir. Was there a problem with the reports my officers filed?"

"No, no problems there. Your field commander, Lieutenant Commander Davis, reported a decrease in her ability to access her non-planar offensive skills, correct?"

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the overly formal language, Mackenzie nodded. "That is correct, sir. Lieutenant Commander Davis was unable to call on her fire powers, but Ensign Lynn was able to take up the slack."

"Did Commander Davis report why she believed she was unable to access her skills?" Melcastle asked.

She nodded again. "Commander Davis reported to me that she believed their location to be directly below a nexus of ley lines conducting water."

The two men nodded thoughtfully to one another. "It's as we thought, then," Melcastle murmured. "I have new orders for you, Commander Jameson. You and your team are to return to the location of the nexus and determine what the Lucifer Hawks were looking for. It could be something we can use. In case of enemy interference, you are ordered to use all due force to secure the site." He looked her straight in the eye, as if trying to convey the seriousness of his words. "Am I clear, Commander?"

Mackenzie snapped off a crisp salute and replied, "Yes, sir!"

Both officers returned her salute. "You're dismissed, Commander," Melcastle said. "Report back once you have finished your investigation."

As Mackenzie left the Pentagon and started the long drive back to New York, her thoughts were focused on Melcastle's last instruction. (All due force,) she thought, turning his words over in her head. (It seems as if our new CNO means business. But what price is he willing to pay to get results?)

------

Peter Melcastle and Damien Marshall kept close as they walked down the nearly deserted hallways of the Pentagon. They reached a rather plain-seeming door on the fourth floor and entered. The outer office was decorated in a stately manner with oak furniture and several reproductions of famous paintings. The two men politely acknowledged the secretary before heading into Melcastle's personal office, which was as unadorned as the door outside. There seemed to be nothing to distinguish it from the hundreds of other offices in the building. In fact, even if one looked closely, it was impossible to find a single personal touch in the room.

Both men stopped short as they noticed that they had been followed.

"Can I help you?" Marshall all but growled as he quickly shut the door.

Melcastle's secretary carefully seated herself in one of the posh chairs opposite the room's huge desk, smoothing her black skirt and straightening the matching jacket. "It's good to see you too," she said with a frown.

"What do you want?" Melcastle sighed as he settled into the large chair behind his desk. "The Captain and I do have business to attend to."

The secretary tucked an errant strand of auburn hair behind her ear and smiled pleasantly as Marshall took the seat next to her. "Yes, I suppose you do. And I would know, wouldn't I? Seeing as I'm the one that arranges your schedule.

"And you've been quite busy lately," she continued. "But I get nervous when I don't hear from you for a while. Not even a 'How are things progressing with your daughter?'" She shrugged. "So I figured I would give you my report… personally." As she said the last word, she leaned forward slightly and licked her full lips.

Melcastle looked disgusted. "Cut the crap, Jacobs. Just give us the damn report."

"Temper, temper, Admiral Melcastle." She wrinkled her nose and gave a dramatic sigh. "What an interesting name. I think I prefer Jerel myself."

Melcastle quickly dropped his disguise and morphed into a huge turquoise monster. "I'd prefer to eat you, human. But you do provide some amusement, so I have spared your worthless life. If you try my patience, however, I can guarantee you that will change."

Erika Jacobs narrowed her eyes, but did not comment. "On to my report, then? Things with Adara are moving along perfectly. She's a reticent little bitch, but she wants to trust me again. The rest of her little cadre are on my side. Most of them have encouraged her to make amends." She leaned back in her chair, carefully uncrossing and re-crossing her legs.

"Good," Jerel said, flashing a row of huge, sharp teeth. "You've done well, Erika."

"And when are you going to hold up your part of the bargain?" she asked testily.

"You'll have every thing you need for your next engagement. For now, continue to make your presence known to your daughter. Once you've gained her full trust, we can proceed."

Marshall nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Once you have their trust, you can betray them. And I think we all know that is what you are best at, is it not?"

Erika simply smiled.

------

When Mackenzie entered the small building the ECC called home, she found her five subordinates all hard at work…or so it seemed. "You should really hide that novel better, Ramirez," Mackenzie commented as she walked by the front desk. She had a hard time smothering a grin as Amber guiltily stuffed the paperback in a drawer and tried to organize the papers on her desk.

"Right, sir. Sorry, sir!"

She shook her head and continued onto her destination: the first office on the right. "Lieutenant Commander," she greeted as she walked in.

"Good afternoon, sir," Adara said as she rose. "Did you enjoy your trip to Arlington?"

They both sat down again and Mackenzie nodded. "I always enjoy visiting D.C. Even when things don't go quite as I had planned…" She trailed off and looked at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"Sir?" Adara asked as she knitted her eyebrows in confusion.

"Admiral Farshtad retired suddenly." Mackenzie sighed as she focused her gaze on Adara again. "We have a new commander, someone I've heard very little about. His name is Peter Melcastle. And he's chosen Captain Marshall to be his second while he is in the office."

"Farshtad? Retired?" Adara looked shocked. "Why? How? I mean—he was a good man."

Mackenzie nodded in agreement. "Yes, he was. But these things do happen. In any case, our new CO has given us some orders. Do you remember last week's engagement in old Manhattan?"

Adara looked slightly queasy. "How could I forget?"

"You and your team are to report back there at 0900 tomorrow morning. You are going to try and find out what the Lucifer Hawks were after. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that this could be a dangerous mission. The Hawks will probably do anything to try and stop you from finding whatever it was they were interested in."

Adara nodded, already deep in thought. "Yes, I understand. I have a few ideas we could use in a situation like that."

"Good. But just remember, if things get too hot, I want you all out of there. Whatever this thing we're looking for is... it's not worth all of your lives."

Adara's eyes twinkled with barely subdued amusement. "I don't know about things getting too hot," she said innocently, "but if we get in over our heads, we'll retreat. It's a promise."

Mackenzie allowed herself to indulge in a brief laugh at the joke. "Make sure you keep it. Good afternoon, Lieutenant Commander."

"Good afternoon, Commander."

Mackenzie walked out and headed to her office. She could hear Adara calling the others for a briefing as she closed her door. She sank into her seat heavily. (Damien Marshall is now part of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,) she thought to herself. (I should be happy for him. So why do I have this uneasy feeling?)

Meanwhile, out in the common area, Adara began the meeting as the others trickled in. "The Commander's given us new orders," she said after they all gathered. "We're going to head back to old Manhattan and try to figure out what those Hawks were looking for."

She turned to look at Calixta and Amber, who were sitting side by side. "I want the two of you to do some research. Find out what that building used to be, what it was used for, when it was built, that kind of thing. Let me know as soon as you find anything.

"Maris, Miakoda and I will get together and plan some strategies in case something happens. We head out tomorrow morning at 0830 to get ourselves on site at 0900. Understood?"

A chorus of "Yes, sir" met her ears and Adara nodded. "Good luck, everyone."

The group broke up and headed off to start their assignments. Miakoda tapped Adara on the shoulder and asked her to hang back. "Adara, can you and Maris start without me? I have something I need to see the commander about."

Adara looked concerned. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, fine," the other woman assured her. "It's a personal matter."

"All right then. We'll be in my office when you're ready to join us."

------

Miakoda knocked lightly on the door and entered when she was bidden to do so. Mackenzie was sitting behind her desk, as usual, and she gestured for Miakoda to take one of the seats opposite of her.

The former political activist sat gracefully and looked her commanding officer straight in the eye. "Want to talk about it?" she asked casually.

Mackenzie sighed and shook her head fondly. "Only you, Willow," she said with a slightly sardonic grin. Then she sobered. "Honestly, I can't really say what's bothering me. I'm not exactly sure."

"Something must have happened at the meeting," Miakoda replied leadingly.

"We have a new commanding officer," she said, frowning. "I trusted Farshtad and I was comfortable with our relationship. I don't know much about Admiral Melcastle. What if we can't trust him?"

"You're as blunt as ever, James," said her longtime friend with a smile. "The Navy wouldn't have put him in that position if they didn't think he was trustworthy. And for the most part, we run ourselves. I don't think we need to worry about outside interference. Especially with the recent problems the president has been having with the Nordic Alliance and Russia."

"I know, I know. If the Alliance and Russia actually work out that peace agreement, things could get very bad very quickly. They would have too much of a monopoly on the fishing industry. And since the Silent Crisis wiped out a great deal of what was formerly viable grazing land, much of the world has been dependent on the growing fishing industry to supply their protein. The New United Nations has managed to keep the balance so far, but if Russia breaks the pact we could be looking at war." She leaned back and rolled her eyes. "Which is just what we need right now.

"Why can't they understand that the Lucifer Hawks are a bigger threat? We don't need to resort to petty squabbles that are best left buried in the past; we need to focus on saving the human race! Idiots!" On the last word, she leaned forward and pounded the desk with her fist.

Miakoda gave her friend a sympathetic smile, causing Mackenzie's anxiety to lessen somewhat. "People never change, James…even now, we're arguing over the petty things, because that's what we've always done. But we can't blame any one person, group, or country for it." She paused and made sure she had Mackenzie's eye before continuing, "Russia isn't really the issue here, is it?"

"I know, I know. But still," Mackenzie argued, "I can't shake this feeling of uneasiness. Something just seems…wrong somehow."

Miakoda considered her words for several moments before she replied. "I'd be the last one to tell you that you should dismiss your feelings. Maybe there is something going on, something you're not aware of on a conscious level. So be alert James, and stay on top of things. But I don't want you to become paranoid because of a few pieces of speculation."

Mackenzie allowed the tension to drain out of her as she sat back in her chair and offered her Miakoda a weary smile. "Looking out for my best interests as always, Willow. Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you. What do you say to an offer of dinner after you get done with your next assignment? We'll talk about anything except work."

Miakoda grinned. "I would most certainly agree."

"Then it's set. And now you'd best get back to your meeting with Commander Davis. You know how impatient she can get."

"Sometimes," Miakoda agreed with a smile. "We'll talk more later, James." Miakoda offered one last nod before she took her leave and headed back to her meeting with Adara and Maris.

------

When Adara stepped out of the ECC's office after the long strategy meeting, she was surprised to find someone waiting for her. "Hello, Mother." She nodded neutrally at the older woman.

"Adara dear, come here. I have something I need to talk to you about."

Adara stifled a sigh and reminded herself that she was trying to get along better with her mother. So she obediently walked over to her mother's side and asked, "What is it?" She was actually successful at keeping the hostility out of her voice.

"I was hoping you and I could go somewhere for a little while to talk. It's been a few weeks since I've seen you for any length of time." Erika smiled hesitantly. "That is, if you have nothing better to do?"

Adara swallowed and had to fight a sudden rush of nervousness. Here was her mother, actually wanting to spend quality time with her? (Quite a change from when I was a kid,) she thought bitterly.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. (Mother is here because she wants to reconcile. She's done nothing but prove that over and over since she showed up. You have to give her a chance.)

"I'd like that a lot, Mother. I know a little out-of-the-way coffee shop…"

"Actually," Erika interrupted, "I was hoping we could go back to your place. This is the type of conversation I would prefer to have in private."

Adara nodded somewhat dumbly as she pushed down a flash of panic. (I'm a grown woman now,) she reminded herself. (I can always ask her to leave if something happens.) The panic came back a little stronger and for a split second Adara thought about running away. But that would look foolish and serve no real purpose, so she forced herself to walk with her mother to her car.

"I let the lease go on my apartment here in the city," she said conversationally as she opened the car door. "I've been using Judith's guest house out on Long Island, since Maris needed some place to stay. We'll have to go there, but she has the evening shift tonight, so we should have relative peace."

Erika merely nodded her acceptance as Adara slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. The rest of the ride was tense and silent, each woman lost in her own thoughts.

After they arrived, Adara showed her mother to the sitting room and then excused herself to make the two of them some coffee. When she returned, she found Erika standing before the scenic windows that took up an entire wall of the room and offered a beautiful view of the ocean. The sky was surprisingly clear for March, and Adara took a moment to admire the scenery before gently clearing her throat and setting the coffee on the table.

Erika turned from the view with a small frown and walked over to sit across from her daughter. "How do you take your coffee?" Adara asked.

"Black, with just a touch of sugar." Adara carefully spooned in the required amount and mixed it before handing the cup to her.

The two women drank in silence for a while, Adara refusing to meet her mother's eyes and Erika not wanting to push the issue. After several long minutes, however, Erika set her cup down with a gentle clank and said, "We really do need to talk, Adara."

"So talk. I don't really know what to say to you anymore." Adara's voice sounded defeated and she slouched further into the couch, still refusing to look in Erika's direction.

"If we're going to have this conversation, I'd appreciate it if you would look at me." Erika waited until Adara did as she was asked, and then continued. "I know this must be difficult for you, having me show up again after all these years. But I'd like to think that even after…everything that happened…that we are still mother and daughter.

"I made some mistakes when you were young, I'll admit that. I was young too, and foolish. I should never have married your father."

"How can you say that?" Adara asked softly. "It's like you're saying you shouldn't have had me…that I shouldn't exist now. Is that how you feel?"

"Don't be absurd!" Erika ordered sharply. "You're misunderstanding me again. That's not what I meant. I was just trying to say that your father and I weren't very compatible and I'm…I'm sorry that you got the worst of it."

"Oh." Adara once again cast her gaze to the floor.

Her mother sighed sharply. "Look at me, Adara." Once again she waited until she was obeyed. "I'm not very good at this. But for what it's worth, I really am sorry. Especially for that day. You're right, the fire wasn't your fault and I was wrong to blame you. Can you forgive me?"

Adara was silent for a long moment. "You know, I honestly never thought I would hear you admit that. Part of me still wonders if maybe it really was my fault, if maybe you were right."

"Quit being so dramatic. I honestly don't know what more you want from me. Adara, I'm doing the best I can here. But I can't do much if you won't give me anything to work with. If you honestly don't care, then tell me right now and I'll leave. I'll leave for good and I'll promise never to bother you again."

"Now who's being dramatic?" her daughter replied, a little bit of anger creeping into her voice. "I'm trying too, mother. I don't want you to go away again. But I don't want to get hurt again either."

"Can't you just take what I'm telling you at face value? I'm sorry, Adara. All right? I'm admitting that I made mistakes and I'm sorry that you got caught in the middle of everything. What more do you want from me?"

Adara stared at her long and hard, searching her face for something; exactly what, Erika was not sure. After a long, tense moment, she seemed to find what she was looking for and she closed her eyes, leaning back against the couch and letting all of her anger evaporate. "Nothing. I guess I can be content with that. Thank you, Mother. I really do appreciate everything you've done today."

"Well…good," Erika replied slowly, uncertainty evident in her cool tones. "I'm glad we were able to come to an understanding. I actually need to get going, I have a meeting in an hour that I can't be late for. We'll talk again soon, dear."

Adara stood and escorted her mother to the front door. "Yeah, I'll see you soon. I hope your meeting goes well. Good-bye, Mother."

After Erika had left, Adara sank to the floor, drawing her knees up and locking her arms around them. "Oh Mother, why does it always have to be this way?" She stayed that way for a long time thinking about everything that had, and more importantly had not, been said that day. Then she picked herself up off the floor and headed over to the phone.

A smile lit her face when the person she had dialed picked up. "Hello, Richard. It's me." There was a pause and then, "No, nothing's wrong. Not really. Listen, are you free tonight? I…I miss you." She laughed when he voiced his obvious concern. "Really, everything's fine. It's just been a long day. Why don't you come over and we can spend the evening getting…reacquainted. It really has been too long since I've seen you." A few murmured words later, she ended the call with, "I'll see you soon. I love you." She hung up the phone and realized, that for the first time in a long while, everything seemed like it would finally be all right.

------

"Coffee."

Calixta looked up from her computer with a distracted "Hmm?" as Amber entered.

"Coffee," Amber repeated, holding out a tall white and green cup to her teammate. "You know, that stuff you drink when you know you're going to be working all night."

Calixta took the cup gratefully, letting the heat soak into her slightly chilled hands. Then it dawned on her that she was holding a warm Starbucks cup. "Thanks, Ramirez," she said a bit warily. "But what'd you get me?" She sniffed at the lid but was unable to identify just what was inside.

Amber rolled her eyes, having become quite familiar with Calixta's coffee quirks since they had started working together. Every time they stopped at Starbucks, Calixta would order the same thing, a caramel frappuccino. Even in the dead of winter, she ordered her favorite frozen beverage.

"It's too cold to be drinking a frappuccino, Calixta. I got you a caramel macchiato. It's the next best thing. I promise."

Calixta once again eyed her teammate warily, but took a sip and then widened her eyes in surprise. "Hey, it's not half bad. Thanks, Amber!"

Amber grinned and took a seat next to the red-haired computer specialist so she could see what Calixta was working on. "What have you got so far?"

"Not much," Calixta sighed. "Old property records, bills of sale, past ownership. Everything looks like it's on the up and up. The building was built in 1952, during the post-war boom. It was rented as an office for several different companies until 1964, when it was bought by Henley, Henley and Masterson."

"Lawyers, I presume." Amber wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"With a name like that, I'd hope so." Calixta smirked and added, "At least it wasn't Wolfram and Hart."

Amber grinned at the reference and shook her head. She continued to read over Calixta's shoulder. "After that it was remodeled into a… fashion center?"

"Yup. It was a fairly popular place until the Silent Crisis, when it suffered a lot of damage. In fact, that whole area suffered a lot of damage. It's mostly been abandoned except for a few homeless drifters."

Amber frowned and tapped her pen against her lips thoughtfully. "Well this went a lot easier than I thought it would. We've got the information Adara wanted. Now the only question left is why the Lucifer Hawks were so interested in this place. It doesn't make sense!"

"They were digging for something. There must be something buried there that they were anxious to find. But ever since we attacked a few weeks ago, there's been no activity in that area. So whatever it is, it also can't be that important. Really the only way we can find out anything now is by going to the site."

"Which we're doing tomorrow," Amber pointed out. Calixta interrupted her train of thought with a sudden yawn. Amber smiled wryly and added, "Which is also why, if we're done, we should both get some sleep."

Calixta heartily agreed. "It looks like we're out of here, then. Good night, Amber."

"Good night, Calixta!"

------

- 0900, The Next Morning -

The hole where the Hawks had been digging was sheeted in ice. Amber shivered in the early morning chill and pulled her coat a little closer. For some reason, it seemed to be colder inside than it had been outside when they landed.

"Be careful," Adara warned as she carefully surveyed the outer edge of the pit. "The floor here is pretty slippery." She shined her flashlight into the depths, but was unable to make anything out of the shadows.

Calixta followed her, taking occasional readings with her scanner, but frowning as everything came back either negative or inconclusive. "We have to find some way to get down there," she said finally. "I caved in the hole the last time we were here and there's no way for us to dig out all that rubble. There's nothing more we can do until we find a way down."

Adara agreed. "Miakoda, Maris, scout around over there," she indicated her left, "and see if you can find anything. Amber and I will check things out over here."

The two groups moved off, each searching for some kind of access to the basement of the former shopping center. "There're some elevators over here!" Amber called. "But I don't think they work anymore," she added as she tentatively pushed a button and nothing happened.

"There's no electricity in the entire building," Calixta called back. "We need to find stairs. That's the only way other than jumping and digging, which I don't think any of us really want to do."

Everyone heartily agreed and resumed searching. After several quiet minutes the peace was shattered by a rattling sound and a curse. "Fuck!"

"Maris?" Adara yelled worriedly. "Is everything okay?"

"I think I found the stairs," the other woman called. "But the damn door is rusted shut!"

Everyone hurried over to where Maris was standing, next to a fairly plain door with a staircase sign hung haphazardly by one nail. The entire door was covered in dull brown rust, some of which fell off in flakes when Maris lightly kicked it.

Amber studied the door thoughtfully. "Well, this might be tricky. Do you think we could remove the hinges somehow, or...?"

Suddenly, Maris pulled back her right leg and landed a sound kick in the middle of the door. The door caved in with a mighty groan, revealing a dark and terribly dusty staircase beyond it.

"So much for finesse," Adara sighed.

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Maris replied defensively.

"Yes, but it was also noisier than necessary," Miakoda pointed out. "If there were any Hawks around who didn't know we were here, they sure do now."

Maris grumbled softly and stalked down the stairs.

With a shrug, Calixta followed. Adara stretched an arm gallantly. "After you two," she told Miakoda and Amber.

The group descended the stairs cautiously, each of them shining her flashlight in order to pierce the all-encompassing blackness of the stairwell. After four flights of stairs and couple of muttered curses from Maris, who was in the lead and thus the first to encounter any debris or wildlife, they reached the bottom. Maris kicked open another rusted door and led them into yet another pitch-black room.

"This room must be pretty big," Miakoda said softly. Her voice echoed distantly. "I can't see any other walls besides the one we're standing next to."

The group once again cautiously set out to explore, jumping every so often as an unexplained noise echoed in the eerie silence. The silence was suddenly broken by loud crash and a shout of pain.

"What happened?" Adara demanded as she whirled in the direction of the noise. "Check in!"

"I'm fine," Calixta responded. "I just tripped."

"I'm here," Miakoda replied.

"Me too," Amber added.

"Yeah, I'm just peachy," Maris groused.

"There's a generator over here," Calixta called excitedly. "An old gas model. And it even has actual gasoline in it! I bet it still works too, they built these things to last." So saying, she made a cursory inspection of the odd little device before pulling firmly on the rip chord three times. The first time, the old engine sputtered and then quickly died. The second time, it caught a little longer and a few lights in the room flickered on before being extinguished. The third time, the generator roared to life and the girls all had to blink against the sudden pain the light caused their eyes.

When they could see again, all eyes were drawn to the only thing of significance in the large and otherwise empty gray room.

Calixta whistled under her breath, Amber gasped, and even Maris looked surprised at what they found. Encased in a block of ice that stretched from floor to ceiling was a woman. The ice distorted her features, but they could tell that she was young, probably younger than anyone in the ECC. Her eyes were closed and her hands folded neatly across her chest. She appeared to merely be sleeping peacefully.

"You don't think she could actually still be alive do you?" Amber whispered hesitantly.

Calixta pulled out her scanner and walked slowly around the column, humming to herself as she read the information. "Well, isn't that interesting?" She snapped the scanner shut suddenly, and the clack made a loud echo in the empty room.

The noise caused Amber to jump, and she sent Calixta an annoyed look. "Did you find anything?"

Calixta nodded. "Yes. I found out that something in this ice is interfering with my sensors. I can't get anything on her." She smirked and opened her scanner again. "Scanning for signs of intelligent life... scans negative."

Amber sighed and shook her head. "That wasn't very funny, Calixta," she said to the grinning computer specialist.

"Nothing on your scanners?" Miakoda asked as she walked over. "So we have no way of knowing whether or not she's alive."

"She's alive," their commander spoke up. They looked to see Adara staring at the ice block and holding her stomach. "She's got to be alive. Something is tapping into a lot of mana around here." She swallowed heavily. "I just wish it wasn't water."

Miakoda hurried over and offered the other woman a shoulder, which Adara gratefully leaned on. "Are you all right?"

Adara attempted to smile wryly, but it ended up more a grimace. "We elementals are a bit sensitive," she explained. "You have to understand that to me, this whole area just screams 'wrongness'. It's kind of like I'm standing in the middle of a huge ocean and keep getting hit by different currents. The ones I'm expecting to be warm are ice cold. And the ones I think are going to be cold are warm." She shrugged. "Sorry, it's a bit hard to explain. Let's just say it doesn't feel good."

"Yeah, I think I get it," Maris spoke up. "I feel like I've got more power…a lot more power. It's a damn rush, that's for sure."

"I think after all this is over, I should drag you to a volcano and see how you react to that," Adara retorted with a glare.

Maris just smirked. "Besides all that, how the hell are we supposed to get this girl out of Jurassic Park mode anyway?"

The others looked at each other and shrugged.

"I think I have an idea." Adara straightened herself up and looked her teammates in the eyes. "What's the only thing that can melt ice?" She glanced at each of her teammates as comprehension dawned on their faces. "Fire. I just might be able to do it."

"Adara!" Miakoda protested. "You're in no condition to try and melt a nine-foot block of ice!"

"Not by myself," Adara agreed. "But since I'm not alone…" She trailed off, looking pointedly at her companion.

Miakoda sighed. "What in the world are we about to get ourselves into?"

------

Adara handed out orders easily, directing everyone to where she needed them to be and briefly explaining what she hoped would happen.

She closed her eyes and started to concentrate. She heard the restless shifting of her teammates, the steady drip of water against the concrete floor and Miakoda's soft chanting, but she let them fade away, out of her conscious mind and into the background. She searched within herself from the power she knew was her birthright. In her center, she felt it. The burning flame that was always with her. She reached for it, pulled it up through her stomach to her chest and out to her arms and finally, into her hands. She started to chant.

/And I with the heart of flame pledge myself/

/To the burning soul of the world, renew/

/And let it live again/

The rest of the ECC shifted uncomfortably as the air in the room began to suddenly warm. In the span of a few seconds, the temperature had already risen several degrees, and it did not look like the trend would stop anytime soon. Around Adara's body, the air was visibly hotter, the heat waves slightly distorting her image. Her hair began to float slightly in the thick air.

/Lend me your powers Belenos, Lord of the sun/

/Brigid, mistress of fire, hear my plea/

Now, both of Adara's hands were wreathed in flame. The temperature had gone up another few degrees, and most of the women were sweating freely.

/Grant me mastery of the sacred flame/

/And let the fire dance begin!/

When Adara snapped open her eyes, Calixta blinked, wondering if they really were filled with fire, or if it was a simple trick of the light. Adara didn't seem to notice any of them as she focused all her concentration on the huge ice block. Calixta watched, enthralled, as small flames about the size of a fist separated themselves from the elemental's hands. They started…well, the only term that really described it was "dancing" out towards the ice. When they made contact, steam hissed loudly. Within moments, the entire area was completely obscured. Calixta could barely see her hands in front of her face.

"Shit," she heard Maris curse from somewhere nearby. "We didn't think about this. We're sitting ducks if any Hawks decide they want a meal!"

"Just keep on your toes," Calixta ordered firmly. "And remember to protect Adara and Miakoda no matter what. The two of them can't do anything now."

Maris muttered something under her breath that Calixta couldn't quite make out. She shrugged, knowing the New Englander would do what she had asked. "Amber, you still with us?"

"Yeah, I'm here," Amber replied nervously. "I've got Miakoda in my sights, so don't worry about her."

Calixta nodded, and then realized that there was no way the other woman could see her. "Good job. I'm going to try and find Adara in this mess." She moved forward cautiously, scanning in every direction for any sign of activity, enemy or otherwise.

A few tense minutes, later she heard Maris say, "Damn, that's pretty impressive."

"Care to share with the rest of us, Lynn?" Calixta asked dryly.

"I've got Adara covered. She's…really good. I can barely make it out, but I think she's about half done. The ice block is probably only a foot thick now. Those little flames are really going at it."

Calixta let herself relax a little more. At least her teammates would be safe. (Although you definitely can't say the same about yourself. Damn it, we really are sitting ducks. And I'm getting really nervous about the fact that we aren't lunch meat yet. Where are all the Hawks?)

Ten minutes crawled by like hours. With each glance at her watch, her nervousness increased. (There's no possible way we can get through this without a Hawk attack,) she reminded herself. (They'll be here. They're just…a little late, that's all.) Then she felt the sudden urge to smack herself in the forehead. (Why are you making excuses for the Lucifer Hawks? Maybe they aren't going to come. Maybe they've finally realized we can kick their sorry behinds clear into next week.)

Her train of thought was interrupted by a startled yelp and the sound of a small scuffle. "Report!" she called frantically. "What's the situation?"

"Adara's down," Maris's voice replied. "I've got her, but it doesn't look like she's going to be waking up anytime soon."

"Miakoda? Amber?"

"We're all right," Amber's voice reassured her. "Miakoda's a little drained, but she's awake and responsive."

Calixta nodded and made her decision, heading over to where she thought she had heard Maris. By the time she reached them, the fog had thinned considerably. She found Maris kneeling over two prone bodies, one of which she recognized as their field commander. (That means this must be the girl. Odd, she looks smaller than I thought she would. Peaceful too. Although that still doesn't answer how she managed to get frozen in a giant block of ice. It's almost like a bad B movie.)

Calixta brushed Maris out of the way and opened her scanner, checking to make sure the girl was all right. She let out a soft sigh of relief when her readings indicated that the girl was breathing and that her brain activity was within acceptable levels.

Miakoda and Amber had hobbled over during her exam and she looked up at the Navajo woman, asking a silent question with her eyes.

"It's your show, Lieutenant," Miakoda replied.

"All right, we'll do it by the book. Let's get everyone in the STAV and get to the hospital. We'll check in with the Commander on the way. Maris, get the new girl first, I'll stay here with Adara."

The blonde merely shrugged, lifting the blue-haired woman into her arms with a slight grunt. "She's heavier than she looks," she grumbled as she headed out. Amber and Miakoda followed her slowly.

Calixta let the tension finally drain from her body after they were out of sight. Things hadn't gone perfectly, but they had gone a lot better than even she had anticipated. She also felt a little gratified that this time it was Adara and not her that would be checking into the hospital. "Have fun," she murmured under her breath as she sat back to wait for Maris's return.

------

The members of the ECC were all crowded around a single bed in what seemed to be the hospital's smallest room. The doctors had said that the mysterious girl they had rescued was doing fine and should in fact be waking up sometime soon.

"Why are we all here again?" Maris grumbled to herself as she tried to get comfortable in the slightly-too-small plastic chair. "Fucking hospital chairs always make my ass hurt."

"Maris," Amber scolded lightly. "We're here to make sure she's okay. We did rescue her, after all. Besides, the commander wants to know why she was sealed in a nine-foot block of magical ice."

Just then, the figure on the bed started to stir. Everyone turned their attention to the bed, except Maris, who pointedly looked at the wall from her position right next to the girl's head.

A pair of aquamarine eyes opened slowly and a delicate voice issued a low groan. Her hand went up to her forehead, gently massaging her temples. As she slowly surveyed the different occupants of the room, a look of horror formed on her face. "Oh my God," she said in soft voice. "I've died and gone to fashion hell."

The members of the ECC all exchanged bewildered looks. Miakoda, being the bravest soul of them all, leaned forward slightly and said, "Excuse me?"

The girl on the bed lay there, looking aghast. "What are you people? The softer side of Sears?"

Amber nearly doubled over laughing, and at Adara's inquisitive look, managed to gasp out, "Cordelia! " before collapsing again in a fit of giggles.

Calixta looked at the girl on the bed, puzzled. "S.E.A.R.S.? Solar Energy Apparitional Refractive System? What does that have to do with anything? "

Maris simply stared at the girl, her eyes growing wider by the second. Finally, she summed up her feelings with an emphatic, "What the fuck? "

"That's what I want to know! " the girl exclaimed, gesturing weakly toward Maris' ECC uniform. "I mean, I could drive on those lapels! Ew! How can you stand wearing that thing? "

Miakoda sensed a loud confrontation coming on, so she broke in quickly. "I think we all have some questions we want answered," she said. "We'll answer your questions as well as we can, but first we need to know something about you. Do you remember who you are?"

"Or where you were, or how you wound up frozen in ice?" Adara added.

The girl's brow furrowed. "I...I don't know." She turned away and buried her face in the pillow. "I'm tired."

"Not too tired to insult us," Maris muttered, but she backed away as she noticed the doctor returning. She and the rest of her teammates left the room and gathered in the waiting room. They looked to their leader for guidance.

"Well," said Adara, "this should be interesting."

------

A week later, from within a sparsely-decorated office, a well-dressed, middle-aged man leaned back in his leather chair. Jerel stared at the ID shot of the blue-haired woman on the screen. Even in this quick shot, he could see the confusion, the loneliness in her eyes. "Feritzia Ricci," he murmured softly, rolling the name on his tongue. "It has been a while, dear one."

He quickly surveyed the rest of the information on the screen, which basically consisted of all the ECC had been able to discover about her. Her name, age, hair and eye color, height, weight and supposed residence were of little concern to him; he already knew all the details. What he was interested in was what Commander Jameson had found out about her:

'While Feritzia Ricci claims and appears to be 19, she also claims that she was last conscious in July 1999. This would mean that she has been frozen underground for thirty-six years, and thus should by normal means now be fifty-five years old. However, the ice she was encased in created a state of suspended animation, and prevented any aging.

'We have also determined that this ice block was created by Feritzia herself. She has demonstrated on numerous occasions a mastery over ice magic. She claims that she is an ice mage, which seems self-evident. How or why Feritzia used her ice magic on herself, she has been unable to recall, or at least has not wanted to disclose.'

Jerel interlocked his fingers as he read over the date towards the top again: July 1999. (After all these years... at last I've found you.) After staring at the monitor a few more moments, he clicked it off and then reached for his phone.

"Erika, get me Jameson on the line."

He waited while his secretary did as she was asked. A few rings later, a crisp female voice answered, "Mackenzie Jameson speaking."

"Ah, Commander Jameson!" He let false cheer seep into his voice. "So, it's been a week since Miss Ricci was released from the hospital. I was curious as to how she was faring at your headquarters."

"As well as can be..." Mackenzie sounded exasperated. "May I speak freely, Admiral Melcastle?"

"Of course."

"There has been a lot of conflict between my subordinates and Feritzia. I know she is still recovering from a very strange and unsettling situation, but she can be rather...demanding."

"That's unfortunate," Jerel said with mock sympathy. "But perhaps as time goes on, she'll get along with her teammates better."

"Teammates, sir?" Mackenzie staggered over the word. "Are you asking me to recruit Feritzia Ricci?"

"I'm ordering you to," Jerel responded, making all of his authority present in every word. "The Hawks were apparently looking for her, which means she's somehow important to them. You also mentioned her being an ice mage...therefore, an asset in battle. Recruiting her would be the wisest option at this point."

There was a frustrated pause. "I would, of course, need to ask Ms. Ricci if she's willing to join," Mackenzie stated.

"Oh, I trust you'll convey the severity of the situation properly," he answered through clenched teeth.

Another pause. "Yes, sir."

He leaned forward a bit and clicked another button on his desk, smiling as the soft strains of an organ filled the office. "Hmm?" he asked at Mackenzie's question. "Oh that. Just a little music after hours to relax. You know how it is." He decided to quickly change the subject. "At any rate, Jameson, keep me updated on your progress. That will be all."

He set the receiver in its cradle with a click and then turned up the volume on the room's stereo speakers. The furious organ notes rose to a fever pitch. He thought about the young woman now residing with the rest of the ECC. "My dear Feritzia," he murmured. "You will soon be part of something greater than yourself. You will soon be exactly where I want you."

The orchestrations were now complete. Jerel smiled. The ECC would make  
beautiful music with him as the conductor.

---------------------------------------------

Next Episode Preview:

Feritzia: "This is so totally stupid!"

Maris: "It's your own fucking fault!"

Adara: "If you'd just learn to follow orders—!"

Miakoda: "...you selfish, fickle, materialistic..."

Amber: "I definitely think there's a problem here."

Mackenzie: "It's time to seek intervention."

Calixta: "Yeah...that might be a good idea."

Next episode: ECC Therapy.


	10. ECC Therapy

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny

Book 1: New York

Chapter 10: ECC Therapy

Authors: OSTOCOM

Email and Website: See our profile

Rating: R for language and chain smoking. Kids, don't try this at home.

Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own the characters we created. See Book 0 for complete disclaimer.

Notes: The concept for this was pretty much blatantly ripped off from X Therapy. No infringement is intended; we just loved the style and decided to try and write one of our own. If you haven't read the original yet, what are you waiting for?

-

The bullet pierced the Lucifer Hawk's midsection, splattering black blood all over a young woman in a blue uniform. She holstered her gun and shook her hands gingerly, allowing the dark liquid to drip onto the pavement. "I have never done anything so disgusting in my life!"

Maris drove her sword through the Hawk's chest. "Shut up and fight, you prissy little bitch!"

"This blood is getting all over me!" said the first woman, pulling out a monogrammed handkerchief and wiping her hands with it. "Do you know how hard it is to get Lucifer Hawk blood out of silk?"

"Not as hard as it's going to be to reattach your head to your body if you don't get into position, Ensign Ricci!" Adara shouted.

"All right, sheesh. You don't have to yell." Feritzia Ricci stepped toward the Lucifer Hawk, taking care not to get any of the blood on her high-heeled designer leather boots. She looked around at the small theatres regretfully, wishing that she were watching a play right now. Even a Beckett play had to be better than this.

"Humans do make an unfortunate amount of noise, don't they, Jagh?" said the Lucifer Hawk as it regenerated the flesh over its gaping chest cavity.

"A disproportionate amount for such a small and insignificant species," agreed Jagh. "As one of their own poets has said, they are 'full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.' Wouldn't you agree, Khathra?"

"It is expressed aptly enough for such an inferior poet," Khathra said.

"Hey, you can't talk about Shakespeare that way!" Amber said indignantly, firing several shots into Khathra's neck. "Right? Back me up here, Ricci!"

Feritzia shrugged. "They're right. Shakespeare's kind of boring."

"Quite so," said Jagh. "Nowhere near the poetic prowess of our Oden ath Skrael."

"You are asking for it, Ricci!" Amber yelled. "If you won't fight for Shakespeare, at least fight for us!"

"Now this is a shame," Jagh remarked, narrowly missing Amber with a swing of his spiked arm. "These humans cannot even cooperate properly, and that being their only asset!"

"Indeed," Khathra agreed. "As Oden ath Skrael said in his telling of the Descent of the Lower Peoples, 'the weak find strength only in numbers, and numbers are the weakest of strengths.'"

"We have more going for us than just math," Adara countered, scanning the battlefield for an advantage. To the far left, Amber was flanking one of the Hawks in order to get a surprise shot…unfortunately, the Hawk had just noticed her. She began to try and circle back as her opponent began to close the gap between them.

"Sympathy makes the weak still weaker," The Hawk quoted again, pulling its skin back to reveal a toothy maw of a grin.

"Feri! Back up Amber!" Adara called, and motioned where she needed to head. Feritzia looked at Adara, then looked where she needed to be: a huge puddle of Lucifer Hawk blood, trash and broken concrete. She recoiled at the thought, and began to take a longer route around the Hawk's back.

"No, the other way!" Adara gritted through clenched teeth.

Too late. Just as the Hawk was about to pounce on Amber, it whirled and sent a psychic shock in Feritzia's direction. The attack hit her dead-on and sent her flying into a nearby building. "Solaris, pick her up!" Adara ordered.

Calixta pulled Feritzia to her feet. "You all right?"

"Fine." Feritzia fingered her bruised forehead.

"Maybe we should let her sit this one out," Calixta said.

Adara shook her head. "We need all the help we can get."

"She's not exactly..." Calixta lowered her voice. "She's not exactly much help. I really don't think she was ready for this fight."

"Well, she can get ready!"

Miakoda came over, looking haggard as she sent a bear spirit thundering toward Khathra. "She should either fight or get out of the way."

Feritzia put her hands on her hips. "I could fight a lot better if you weren't yelling these stupid orders all the time!"

Adara clenched her teeth and shot a ribbon of white-hot flame at Jagh. "And if you'd followed my orders and been in position, you wouldn't have been hit!"

"It doesn't matter now," Miakoda said as she raised her psychic shield over the ECC. "We need to regroup."

The six women immediately followed her orders…except for Feritzia, who took her precious time hopping around piles of muck and debris. Under cover of Miakoda's shield, Maris raised Nauticus upright and began to chant a spell. Jagh barely had time to heal himself from Adara's attack, but managed to dodge Maris's whirlpool spell…causing it to hit Khathra instead.

The towering Lucifer Hawk roared in pain as the thundering water stripped away nearly half its body mass. Khathra looked at his companion with hurt and fury.

"Traitor! Your negligence caused me injury! And I trusted you!" The Hawk gave a growl that sounded more like one of Feritzia's 'hmphs', and teleported back to Nemesis to heal itself.

"I never enjoyed Oden ath Skrael, anyway!" Jagh yelled after him. As Jagh fumed at the air where his companion had just been, Feritzia sauntered out of the protective shield and towards him.

"Feritzia! Get the fuck back here; I don't want to have to scrape you off the pavement later!" Maris hollered at her.

"I don't need anyone telling me what to do!" Feritzia yelled, and put her hands on the Hawk. Her eyes closed and she began mumbling something incomprehensible. The Hawk's red eyes widened and its mouth opened in shock as its body began hardening. Suddenly it fell, and its body shattered on the pavement.

As Adara tried to decide whether to be relieved or furious, she noticed two bystanders applauding. "Bravo!" exclaimed a man in a Yankees baseball hat. "Encore!"

Adara grabbed the nearest hand, which happened to be Miakoda's, and bowed. The other members of the ECC quickly followed suit.

"Phenomenal job with the staging and effects," the man said. "Ingenious, really."

"And the acting!" gushed a woman with a camera around her neck. "I really believed you were furious with each other. How can you project that kind of emotion?"

Adara took a deep breath and smiled nonchalantly. "It takes a certain... je ne sais quoi."

"Which is French for 'no-good teammates,'" Feritzia interjected.

"Hey, play's over, Feri," Calixta said, slapping Feritzia on the back. She shrugged apologetically. "Method actors."

"Wonderful," the woman said, her face aglow with admiration. "Really wonderful. Does your troupe take donations?"

"Hell yeah!" Maris said.

"Absolutely." Feritzia flashed the woman a charming smile.

Adara just stared at them in blank shock, a polite smile stuck on her face by nothing but force of habit.

"Will 100 be enough?" the woman asked, pulling out traveler's cash-card. "No, I'd better make it 120," she said, pulling out another card. "That will divide more evenly, and anyway, I like to support the cutting-edge stuff. Bringing art to the masses and everything."

"Will you be performing here again tomorrow?" the man asked.

"You can never tell," Amber said. "We'd better get going." She and the rest of the ECC hurried away.

The woman turned to the man. "I'm telling you," she said, "off-Broadway is where it's at."

-

Mackenzie sat at her desk, looking at the cash-cards, then at the report, and back to the cash-cards again. "Well. I'm speechless."

"I'm sorry," Adara said. "This won't happen again."

A smile twitched at the corner of Mackenzie's lips. "Oh, far be it from me to trample your artistic freedom."

"At least we got paid, right?" Feritzia said.

"Be that as it may," Mackenzie said, her demeanor suddenly serious, "this breach of order is inexcusable—and it isn't the first of its kind. But it will be the last."

Adara glared at Feritzia before responding. "Yes, I think we're all committed to that."

"I've heard this before," Mackenzie said. "And while I don't doubt your intentions are sincere, I think this problem is beyond you. It's time to seek intervention."

-

The Therapist puffed on her nicotine inhaler. This next group was going to be a doozy. What would a group out of the Department of Agriculture need with group therapy? Equine Clean-Up and Control? What could they possibly do? Clean up horse shit? She took another puff and slid it back into the top drawer of her desk, briefly fingering the nicotine patch on her left arm.

The intercom buzzed. Her next appointment was here. Stepping from behind her desk, she grabbed a notepad, a few pens, and then decided to grab the nicotine gum, too. Placing them on her chair, she walked to the door and opened it. In walked six women. The first was a woman with blonde hair and a bottle of Evian mumbling something about "fucking shrinks" under her breath. An auburn-haired woman with a bun followed next, her right eye twitching as she fidgeted with her uniform.

Next there came a beautiful Hispanic woman with a smile on her face. (At least someone was friendly.) Following her another woman entered, a redhead with a personal organizer in her hand. (Techno-freak.) She was followed by another woman with dark hair dressed in Southwestern clothing. She too smiled at the Therapist.

Then the last woman walked into the room. By all means she was beautiful—she had midnight blue hair with a single silver streak in the front with the rest neatly tied in ponytail. Her beauty, however, was offset by a scowl she wore on her face that told the Therapist who was the source of the trouble for this group. The Therapist closed the door and observed as the six women stood behind the six provided chairs for them. She shut the door and walked to her seat. Picking up her notepad, she sat.

"Have a seat," the Therapist said pleasantly. No one moved. (Not this again) She opened her mouth to offer another polite chance to sit when the woman with the bun sat down. Four of the remaining women followed suit. Unfortunately, the blue-haired princess refused to sit. Instead, the young woman headed for the door.

"Please, have a seat," the Therapist tried. The woman turned and glared at her. The woman with the bun then spoke up.

"Sit down, Ensign Ricci," she ordered. The other four women winced collectively, even the cursing blonde. But the pony-tailed wonder didn't budge. "Ensign Ricci, SIT. DOWN. THAT. IS. AN. ORDER!" The words somehow managed to be ground out between clenched teeth at a spectacular volume.

The woman then moved slowly over to her chair and plopped down, crossing her arms over her chest and sticking her chin up in defiance. She looked like a five-year-old throwing a temper tantrum. By this time the auburn-haired woman, who was obviously the leader, had relaxed slightly. However, an internal monologue of anger management mantras might as well have been broadcast over a PA.

The Therapist clicked her pen. "Well, now that we are all seated," she began, "why don't we introduce ourselves?" They all exchanged glances with the exception of "Ensign Ricci." (Oh boy.) "Let's start with you," she said, looking at the Hispanic woman.

"Hi, I'm Amber," she said with a smile. The Therapist returned the smile and waited. The other women sat there looking at each other for a few moments. Finally, the Therapist continued.

"And what do you do?" she asked. Amber became excited again.

"I work in public relations, and I love to cook," she said happily. "Oh, and I'm a truth sayer." The Therapist blinked twice then wrote on her notepad "Amber—attention seeker, delusional, way too perky." She finished writing and then turned to the group. The other members squirmed under her gaze. Her eyes fell on the distracted redhead with an organizer.

"How about you?" she asked. The woman seemed a little annoyed, but responded politely.

"Hi, I'm Calixta," she said, then quickly added, "and I work with computers." Calixta returned to her electronic gadget. The Therapist quickly wrote "Calixta—technology addict" on her notepad. She glanced up at the woman beside Calixta, the cowgirl.

"And you?"

"I'm Miakoda," she replied.

"Oh, is that a Japanese name?" the therapist asked.

Miakoda's eyes narrowed slightly. "Navajo, actually," she clarified. "And I'm a political activist who is psychic." Sighing under her breath, the Therapist began to write in her notebook. Miakoda observed the woman and then added, "And I know you don't believe me." The Therapist stopped writing, crossed out what she had written and wrote "uptight, rude" next to the Miakoda's name. Putting on her best fake friendly smile, she then turned her attention to the blonde.

"And you?" she asked. The blonde rolled her eyes and fidgeted with the water bottle.

"Maris Lynn," she barked with a New England accent, "sailor and wielder of Nauticus."

The Therapist blinked. "Nauticus?"

"My water sword," Maris grumbled. "He insists on Evian." The Therapist's eyes bulged wider for a few moments, then she wrote, "Maris—needs manners, imaginary friend?" Turning her attention to the auburn-haired leader, the Therapist cringed at the rapidly pumping right leg over her left knee, her twitching right eye and firmly clasped hands.

"And you?" she asked. The woman briefly stopped pumping her leg.

"I'm Adara," she said through clenched teeth while looking at "Ensign Ricci." The Therapist quickly penned, "Adara—needs anger management." Adara continued to twitch, although she finally looked at the Therapist. "And I'm pyrokenetic," she said, unclasping her hands. A bright flash shone briefly between them, or so the Therapist thought. She blinked twice and added, "Pyromaniac, VERY DANGEROUS" next to Adara's name, being sure to underline the last two words, twice. (I hate my job.) She plastered the sweetest smile she could on her face, but it looked more like a wince.

"And you would be?" she asked. The blue-haired woman glared at her.

"Feritzia," she droned bitterly. "F-E-R-I-T-Z-I-A." The Therapist wrote the name on the notepad, quickly followed by "bitch." (I don't want to know what she does.) F-e-r-i-t-z-i-a then turned her attention back to Adara, who was again clasping her hands together tightly and staring out the window. Rather than continuing with the usual order of events, the Therapist thought it more important to address the issues that obviously lay between Adara and Feritzia. Both women were turned away from each other, and any discussion was going to obviously be hostile, if not outright inflammatory. The Therapist took a breath and turned to Adara.

"Adara," she began, "I can see that there are some differences between you and Feritzia. Would you care to discuss what is bothering you?" Both women remained focused on opposite points of the room. After a few moments, Adara took a few audible breaths and turned to the Therapist. She was still twitching, but at least she was communicating.

"Ensign Ricci," she spat, then lowered her tone of voice, "Feritzia and I have our differences, yes." Feritzia then turned to Adara, her arms still crossed over her chest, legs crossed, with an open-mouthed grunt of disapproval.

"Go on," the Therapist urged, throwing a warning glance at the younger woman. Adara waited until Feritzia calmed down a little before continuing.

"She has…authority issues," Adara continued. Feritzia looked away again, this time huffing to herself. "On numerous occasions, she has disregarded my commands, resulting in my life, her life, and the lives of others being put in grave danger." Feritzia tossed her blue hair and threw a deadly glare at her accuser. "She has shown disrespect toward myself as well as her co-workers, and seems to not care what the consequences may be." The Therapist jotted a few things down on her notepad, but not before someone interrupted the lines of communication.

"I _so_ do not have authority issues." Feritzia spoke loudly enough for a few to hear, but not really loud enough to be a statement to the entire group. The gesture inflamed Adara and her hands clenched again as she threw a glare at the younger woman. The Therapist coughed a few times to prevent the sigh in the back of her throat from rising to her mouth.

"Feritzia," the Therapist began, "would you like to respond to what Adara has said? She feels that you may have some…difficulty with authority and that it may have put people in danger. How do you feel?" Inwardly, the Therapist cringed, knowing what patients like this usually did, but let the ensuing conversation unfold like the events of a bad horror movie.

"First of all," Feritzia said, "I do not have authority issues." She sat forward in the chair, looking directly at Adara. "I have issues with the way you issue authority." Her arms unfolded themselves and she began gesturing as she talked. "I mean, there's only so many rules that we can handle, you know. And why should we be at the office if there is nothing happening? Shouldn't we wait for a phone call from 9-1-1 or something?" Adara twitched uncontrollably, leaning forward and gripping the sides of her seat. "And really it's not like—"

"Protocol is something that we all must adhere to!" Adara blurted out angrily. "It's there to help protect you as well as those around you!" Feritzia folded her arms over her chest again, rolling her eyes as she re-crossed her legs. "On numerous occasions—"

"There was only that one time," Feritzia interjected, "and I apologized for that."

Adara turned fully to the younger woman, her eyes blazing. "You apologized not for your conduct, but for filling the company vehicle with packages from a shopping excursion that you went on while on duty!" she yelled. "You took the liberty of removing the equipment we use to fight Lucifer Haw—uh, Hawking, the…serial killer, from the car, thus resulting in us nearly being killed!"

"Okay," said the therapist. "Obviously this incident is a strong point of contention for you—"

Neither woman paid any attention. "But the Hawk was killed anyhow!" Feritzia argued. "If it weren't for me, you would've been in trouble."

"Would have been?" Adara yelled. "We were injured and waiting for backup while you were perusing the shoe aisle over at Macy's!"

"But I made it back in time!"

"You left your teammates! You abandoned them without telling them or going to get help. You took the guns, the explosives, and put them God knows where! I had to call in countless favors to explain away how we lost automatic weapons and twenty-five pounds of plastic explosives in one of the most heavily crime-laden areas of New York!"

The therapist cleared her throat. "I think we need to examine this from a more objective—" But her words went unheeded as the verbal skirmish continued.

"But we got them back and I came back in time to save you!"

"Save us? We saved you!"

"Oh, please." Feritzia sniffed disdainfully.

"Don't start with me!" Adara's fists clenched as she launched herself out of her chair.

"Start what? Get over yourself!"

"Ensign Ricci, so help me…"

"You just can't admit that I can handle the Hawks better than you, better than all of you." Feritzia stood up and flicked her hair over her shoulder theatrically.

"You are so conceited!"

"STOP!" the therapist yelled. Both women stopped mid-thought and sat back in their chairs, taking identical postures of folded arms, rolling eyes, and crossed legs. The Therapist began to feel that Adara's twitching was some sort of catching disease, because she could barely restrain herself from doing it as well. She decided that she had better let these two cool off a while before letting something like that happen again.

"It seems like you two have very strong opinions on this issue. Why don't we have a third outside opinion on this?" She scanned the room and stopped at the first person she came to, which was unfortunately the scowling blonde. "You. What would you tell Adara and… Feritzia?" She could barely squeak out the name.

"Look, it's not a question of whether or not Feritzia has authority issues," Maris said simply. "It's the fact that Feritzia's a fucking bitch."

The therapist's eyes widened, and somebody coughed violently. Feritzia instantly threw her death glare in Maris's direction, although Maris did her best to ignore it.

"Oh come on, I know you're all thinking it," Maris said to her teammates. "I'm just the only one with the balls to say it. She's the most fucked-up fucking bitch I've ever met. She doesn't give a rat's ass about whether any of us lives or is crushed to a pile of bloody shit, just as long as nobody ruins her new Vogue-ass shoes or whatever."

The therapist stepped in quickly. "So you are frustrated by what you perceive as Feritzia's... insensitivity to your situation?"

"Like you're one to talk about being insensitive!" By now, Feritzia was positively fuming. "At least I'm not downright rude like you! I can't stand how you use such bad language all the time."

"Really? Fuck fuck fuckitty fucking fucked-up fucker fuck-shitty shitting fucking shit…" Maris stopped as she saw angry glares coming from Adara, Miakoda, Amber and Calixta. She glanced at the therapist's pale expression, and cleared her throat with an extra 'fuck' under her breath.

"See? Listen to her! She's the one that needs therapy here, not me," Feritzia protested. "She and Adara and everyone else."

"Okay, I take that back," Maris interjected. "You're not just a fucking bitch, you're a whiny fucking bitch. I hate to break it to you, hon, but the world doesn't revolve around you! People weren't put on this planet to cater to your every whim. You never do anything for yourself! It you'd get off your lazy ass for once and do something on your own, the poor taxpayers wouldn't be sacrificing their salaries for us to sit here and listen to this therapist spout off psychoanalyzing bullshit."

The therapist decided that she had heard just about enough out of Maris. She scribbled down on her notepad in bold letters, 'MARIS HAS NO TACT,' as well as 'Feritzia: codependent?' She was afraid to look up from her notepad again, but when she did, it looked as if Feritzia and Maris were about ready to start something. Feritzia's glare was positively icy, and the therapist had never realized that someone could open a water bottle so threateningly.

"There will be no resorting to violence here!" she called out warningly. Maris and Feritzia took her admonition, but rather grudgingly. "We are here to work out these problems through communication, not fighting. So, Feritzia… what would you like to communicate to Maris after that last statement?"

"I think you've been talking to the wrong people," Feritzia said, her voice full of obvious disdain. "Adara and Maris both hate me, and always have."

"Maybe because we have to live with you," Maris grumbled.

Feritzia ignored her and continued to address the therapist. "You're not going to get any intelligent communication out of them."

Adara and Maris wore identical expressions that, if looks could kill, would have signaled impending nuclear war. The therapist, although she had to agree with Adara's statement about authority and Maris's statement about whining, realized that talking with these two would get them nowhere. She searched out the face in the crowd that she remembered being friendly, and finally focused on Amber. "All right, let's try a new opinion. Amber…do you have anything you'd like to say that might help Feritzia and Adara's situation?"

Amber bit her lip, and looked with uncertainty at the three fuming people in their chairs. She wasn't exactly sure how keen she was on joining their ranks, but obviously didn't want to hide anything from the therapist. "I definitely think there's a problem here. But I don't know how to fix it. Feritzia should at the very least show some gratitude for what we've done for her. And I don't think abandoning all of us to that rather snarky Hawk to go shopping is showing gratitude."

"Why should I be grateful?" Feritzia folded her arms across her chest again. "All you people do is yell at me all day for nothing, and don't help at all when my clothes get completely ruined by all that fighting in dirty places. Why do you all have issues with me?"

"Because you give us cause to!" Amber sputtered, her pleasant mood quickly dissolving into the permeating fury that filled the room. "Maris may use bad language, but you're just as rude, if not more so!"

"Oh really? When have I ever been as rude as that…woman? If you can call her that."

"You completely insulted my cooking!" Amber shouted. "I spent hours fixing a big dinner on our day off, and you just said it was too spicy and threw it in the trash!"

"So what? You hate me because I don't like spicy food? Hello, I'm not the only one here that doesn't like spicy food!"

"The others at least tried it! You didn't even bother to try it! Nobody could have eaten it in peace after all you did was complain about it!"

"I complained about it because it was gross! All those oils and fats and stuff…ugh! How could anyone eat that?"

This was the last straw with Amber. She clenched her teeth, and had to restrain herself from getting up out of her seat and walking over to strangle Feritzia herself.

"Have you no respect for those who are different from you?" she spat at the blue-haired woman. "Do we even register in your mind, you little…you little…brat!" The Therapist looked over the situation, quickly scribbling, "Feritzia: lack of manners, what a shock" quickly followed by "Get El Pollo Taco for dinner tonight." Discussion of food caused the now-hungry therapist to glance at her watch, temporarily blocking out the insanity that was raging in her office. Nearly half of the two-hour session had passed. (Not nearly fast enough.) The therapist decided to join the group discussion again when she finally registered the yelling voices of four of the six women.

"I can't believe how self-centered you are!"

"Just because I value something different than you—"

"How about valuing our safety, you motherfucking—"

"STOP!" the therapist yelled at the top of her lungs. She was quickly beginning to feel like she was at professional wrestling match instead of one of her appointments. Her arms were outstretched on both of her sides, her tongue near bursting from the teeth clenched on it to keep her from saying some very unprofessional things.

Miakoda and Calixta turned away from the deadlock glares between the four other women, choosing instead to stare at the floor or out the window. The therapist wished she could join them in their avoidance of the situation. Her arms fell to her sides and she straightened her pantsuit in order to gather her thoughts. Slicking her hair back, the therapist again sat in the chair, sighing heavily against her better judgment. She then glanced around the entire group.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, screaming, name-calling, yelling—it's not going to get you anywhere. Now, I realize that you work for the Department of Agriculture, and your work is hardly life-threatening—" Suddenly all six women glared at the therapist, who stopped mid-sentence to absorb the seemingly unwarranted disdain, but then quickly continued, "—but it is important that you all work together." She turned her face back to her notepad. (I never knew cleaning up horse shit could be considered a life-threatening occupation. The things you learn nowadays…)

Her eyes fell on Calixta. "There are obviously issues here, but I'd like to have everyone contribute to the dialogue," she said. "How about you, Calixta? What do you think is going on here?" The red-haired woman put her electronic organizer down in her lap and took a breath.

"I believe that we are suffering from a miscommunication," she began diplomatically. "And that Feritzia does not have a clear understanding of what is expected of her."

Adara raised her hand. "I disagree," she said.

"Go on," the therapist urged.

"I believe Feritzia understands what we expect of her regarding protocol and responsibility, but chooses to ignore it," Adara finished. The Therapist blinked a couple of times from shock. A coherent sentence was uttered among the group. She was about to relax when Feritzia unfortunately opened her mouth again.

"I do know what you expect of me, it's just I think it's unnecessary, so I don't do it," she said. "Really, the rules are so out of date. Come on—fifteen forms just so the government knows I killed a Lucifer Hawk? It's ridiculous!"

The Therapist looked up suddenly. "You killed what?" she asked.

"Uh, rabid," Calixta said, "rabid hawk. It was nesting outside our headquarters."

"Oh," uttered the Therapist.

"Even so, Feritzia," Calixta continued, "we all have to fill out those forms. It's part of the job. And if you think you can avoid doing them just because you're…you're…well, you know, then you're living in a fantasy world."

Feritzia laughed coldly. The Therapist shivered.

"And you don't, Miss Holographic Apartment?" Feritzia argued. "At least I know I'm living in a fantasy world and not convinced that it is the real world." Calixta was upset, the Therapist could tell, but she remained silent. Picking up her pen, she quickly noted "Calixta: passive aggressive? Fear of confrontation?" and then leaned forward to help the young woman address the problem.

"Calixta," the Therapist began, "tell us more about how Feritzia avoids what you call the real world." The young woman squirmed in the chair, trying to comply with the Therapist, but remained silent. The other members of the group were waiting eagerly when she finally spoke.

"It's just that…" she began, then shook her head."Feritzia has no concept of what it's like to have a big monster…ous horse, a wild stallion attacking, and no one there to cover your back. And one day she's not going to have anyone there to help her, and she's going to get hurt." The group remained silent.

Feritzia huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "I don't need any help," she said.

Calixta's eyes widened then narrowed. "Except when you don't want to do paperwork."

"Well, of course, because that's a waste of my time." Feritzia shrugged.

"And so is walking down a flight of stairs to get your own coffee?" Miakoda interjected.

"Look, no one claimed it so I just took it," Feritzia reasoned out loud.

The dark haired woman leaned forward. "The cup is clearly marked in Navajo and she took it every morning right after I poured it from the pot," she said, looking at the therapist. She turned to Feritzia. "You could at least get your own damn coffee."

The blue-haired woman shrugged. "Well, you make good coffee," she said.

"And you are being lazy." Miakoda paused before adding more. "And if I were to even _think_ of taking something of yours, you would not be as gracious as I am."

"Of course, because it's mine," she said. The group waited for more from the young woman, but soon realized she would say no more.

"Isn't that a little bit of a double standard?" Miakoda pointed out.

"Yes," Feritzia replied, glancing at her nails. "It's an arrangement that works in my favor, so why should I change it?"

Miakoda gasped. "Because it's unfair, rude, and disrespectful," she said firmly, her chin lifting. "You made me pay to replace the Prada shoes you ruined while on a mission, only to then not pay me back when you broke my new watch!"

"Come on," Feritzia said, "it was a cheap watch. My Prada shoes were much more expensive, better quality and more important to me than your flimsy watch." Miakoda opened her mouth to protest, but then clamped her mouth down, her fists balled tightly. "By the way, if you're going to constantly insult my fashion sense, you could at least learn some of your own." She looked Miakoda up and down. "Prairie-Western is so last century."

If smoke could have billowed from Miakoda's ears, it would have. The woman exploded. "You selfish, fickle, materialistic bit—person!" she finished, catching herself. "How dare you insult my personal tastes and disrespect me, after forcing me to pay for your overpriced, under-worn, materialistic impulses! No wonder you're constantly borrowing money to pay rent! If you would just learn to spend your money on food, rent and reasonably priced clothing, you might make something of yourself." She took a breath, flabbergasted with the younger woman. "I don't know where you're from or who took care of you, but they're not around, so you need to learn to stand on your own two feet and not depend on others to take care of you and fund your extravagant expenditures."

Feritzia was very quiet, her eyes blinking quickly. The therapist was shocked. (The ice queen has feelings?) Feritzia covered up her emotional discomfort swiftly and turned to Miakoda with another cheap stab.

"You're just jealous," she said coldly. "You're all jealous of my power."

"Like hell," said Maris. "We have powers of our own, remember?"

Amber spoke up. "And power is no good if you don't use it responsibly. You don't. You could be good at your job, if you ever bothered to do it."

"There's a whole world out there that needs protecting," Miakoda said. "There are people who are counting on you. Doesn't that matter?"

"What about me?" Feritzia said, her voice breaking. "Don't I matter? I have to look out for what I want, because no one else cares! I'm just some sort of tool to you."

"That's not..." Adara began automatically.

"Okay," the therapist interrupted. "I think we've found the issue here. From the sounds of things, you all have to trust each other in order to deal with... horses, rabid hawks and serial killers?" The therapist's brain twitched. (I'm going to need therapy after this.) "And somewhere along the line, the trust got broken."

"No shit, Sherlock," Maris muttered.

"What can you do to regain that trust?" the therapist asked. The only response was a stony silence, so the therapist scribbled "Lost cause" on her notepad and sighed. Finally, Feritzia spoke up.

"It's my fault," she said. "I know I'm a bitch and that you all hate me. But what am I supposed to do? I'm alone. The last thing I remember is people leaving me, and then the next moment I was in a cold, wet place with five women looming over me. I was thrust into this organization, fighting a war I never knew existed, and..." She straightened her uniform and walked over to Adara. "My resignation will be on your desk tomorrow morning." With that, she left the room.

The other women remained quiet, staring at the floor, the walls, the window. The therapist added another note: "Feritzia: Drama queen."

Finally, Adara placed her hands on her knees, sighed, and stood up. "As tempted as I am to let that last statement stand," she said, "we can't." The other four women stood, and they all followed the ice princess out the door.

-

The Therapist stumbled out the door, lighter and pack of cigarettes in hand. Her hands shook. Three months of work down the drain, she thought idly as her first cigarette ignited. She took a drag, turning one-fourth of it to ash, then took another. At the end of her tenth cigarette and repeated mumblings about "the stupid ECC," her boss appeared next to her. She looked him over briefly.

"So, rough day?" he asked, offering her a light.

She snorted, shaking her head. "You have no idea."

-

Next episode preview:

Feritzia: "So they want me to keep fighting the Lucifer Hawks, right? Whatever. It's not as easy as they think. I mean, who's the real enemy, anyway? Ice powers don't help at all when my life is so empty…so cold…"

Next episode: Glacialis


	11. Glacialis

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny

Book 1: New York

Chapter 11: Glacialis

Authors: OSTOCOM

Email and website: see our profile

Rating: R for language and violence (mostly language…three guesses why.)

Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See Authors' Notes for complete disclaimer.

-

The sounds of the television echoed through Adara's townhome.

Belle, please! We have to get out of here! It isn't safe anymore! 

No, Brady! We're so close to discovering who murdered our father all those years ago! We can't stop now! 

The music swelled as a figure stepped out of the shadows. Ah, Belle. Do you truly want to know the truth behind your father's death? 

Belle and Brady gasped as the figure was revealed. Stefano! But, we all saw you die in your hospital bed over five years ago! How? How could you still be alive? 

I am Stefano's clone! He made me to carry on his great master plan after his death! And John Black interfered with his plans one too many times! Hahahahaha! He turned steely eyes on the two Black children. And now, it is time to join your father in death. Then Marlena and I can finally be together! The music swelled dramatically again.

"Figures," Feri murmured as she crunched a carrot stick. "Thirty years and nothing's really changed." She let herself be drawn back into the unfolding drama on the screen. There was nothing like daytime soaps to take one's mind off one's problems.

"Feritzia!"

Feri steadfastly ignored the sharp voice and put even more effort into concentrating on the TV.

"Feritzia!" Adara entered the room, again attempting to get the younger woman's attention. When there was no response, she sighed in annoyance and proceeded to grab the remote and shut off whatever had so captivated her houseguest.

Blue-black hair swished angrily as Feritzia whipped around to glare at the intruder. "I was watching that!"

"And I was trying to get your attention," Adara said evenly, unimpressed with the air of righteous anger Feritzia was projecting. "It's been an entire week since you've been at work. Isn't it about time you got over yourself and came back?"

"I resigned Adara, remember? Just like you all wanted me to. You're better off without me anyway."

Adara just rolled her eyes. "Feritzia, you don't believe that any more than you believe that the sky is fuchsia. You're just being petty because we hurt your feelings. But guess what? You hurt ours too. So suck it up and deal."

"Give me one good reason I should come back to work for you ingrates!" the young woman yelled as she jumped off the couch to face her opponent.

"I can give you several," Adara shot back. She ticked off the various points on her fingers. "One: technically, you're still dead. You have no serial identification number and thus no way to get gainful employment anywhere else. Two: were you to attempt to get a serial identification number, your birth certificate states that you were born in 1981, which means you should be a hell of a lot older than you are, and no one's going to believe it's yours. Three: I'm not sure quite how you managed to do it, but you've already racked up quite an amount of debt on your company-issued credit cards. I can guarantee you Uncle Sam is going to want that money back one way or another. Four: rent is due in two weeks and frankly, if you're not living here you have nowhere else to go. Don't believe me? Look back over numbers one to three."

She paused. "Is that enough, or should I continue?"

Feritzia said nothing, just continuing to glare in Adara's general direction.

The auburn-haired woman sighed. "Feri, just come back to work. You're scheduled for the night shift this evening."

"Well when you put it that way, how can I possibly refuse?" she asked sarcastically.

"Feritzia…" Adara growled warningly.

"Ugh! Fine, I'll go back to work. But only because I know you all are floundering without me. I mean, I don't know how you coped before me. Did you manage to kill any Hawks before I arrived?"

Adara felt her left eyebrow begin to twitch violently.

"So, my next shift is at 8, right?" She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Oh my God! I have to go shopping today! That means I only have 7 hours to find the right pair of shoes at Top Shop! Adara, why didn't you tell me?" Feritzia rushed out of the room, muttering under her breath about ungrateful commanders with no fashion sense.

Adara sighed and exchanged a glance with Maris, who had entered the room just as Feritzia was leaving. "Well, looks like everything is back to normal. Right?"

Maris just shrugged.

-

There was another explosion. People screamed, running down the street on the verge of mass hysteria.

Several women, however, were not running. One cradled a ball of flame between her hands, a large alien-looking creature standing before her. One of seven of the creature's blue-purplish tentacles sprang toward her, only to be burned by the flame. It recoiled in pain, but quickly healed.

The woman whispered soft words as the creature attacked again, only to retreat. After completing the last of the incantation, the ball of flame had split into eight orbs of flame. Then they slowly spun in a circle, gaining speed before flying in the direction of the creature, gaining the woman the needed distraction to run and join her other teammates. Adara adjusted her rapidly falling bun and then reached for her gun.

"Where the hell is Ensign Ricci?" she shouted over the noise of the street. Maris gripped Nauticus and marched forward.

"The hell if I know," Maris yelled, "but the bitch is in for a fucking wake-up call when I find her." The former New England fisherwoman stepped into the range of the creature, incanted a spell quickly and slashed. One of the tentacles fell off, another quickly following after simultaneous blasts from Calixta and Adara.

The Lucifer Hawk howled in pain and projected another beam of destruction at the building behind them. Unfortunately for the ECC, the shopping center still held a few last-minute shoppers before the end of the night, thus spilling the now-hysterical populace into the street and into harm's way.

A small group of teenage girls ran by them screaming at the top of their lungs that they were going to die, all the while protecting their purchases. Maris glared at them, thinking of the missing Ensign Ricci. "Why don't you just shut up and RUN," she snapped, then turned back to the monster and hacked off another tentacle. "And why don't you just die?"

Another beam of destruction went crashing into the street, exploding the two police vehicles near the department store. The officers ran, trying to keep the populace calm and shooting bullets in vain against the adversary. Miakoda sent forth another spell protecting the fleeing people from the melee, but a few fell, injured by falling debris from the now-burning building. Another explosion followed and the wall fell, but the brownish-gold shield held, protecting the people as they scuttled out of the way. Unable to hold it any longer, Miakoda let the shield disperse. The debris fell to the street, the heavy metal "Macy's" sign breaking into smaller pieces.

The five women surrounded the weakened creature. Each attacked, finally destroying the demon. Adara put her gun away then turned, only to watch the building burn and another explosion hit. "I hate gas lines," she mumbled. "I thought all the buildings would be upgraded by now."

"So much for Macy's," Calixta chimed in. "Think they'll still have the parade?"

Miakoda turned at the comment. "Does that even matter?" she asked.

"Does anyone care?" Amber asked. All of them fell silent. "That's what I figured."

Adara dusted off her soiled uniform, her eyes intently searching for any sign of the one member of the ECC unaccounted for. When she spoke, her tone rang with contempt and anger. "Where is Ensign Ricci?" she said through clenched teeth.

Through the smoke, a small, almost frail woman wearing the ECC uniform appeared. She scurried from open patch to open patch of asphalt, avoiding the bricks and bits of flaming debris around her. Her blue-black hair and silver streak swayed in her ever-present ponytail as the ECC recognized their M.I.A. comrade. In Feritzia's hands were two shopping bags. When she finally reached the group of women, Adara's hand briefly lit with flame, then extinguished. There was a noticeable temperature difference in the fire elemental's immediate vicinity. "Ensign Ricci," she intoned. Feritzia halted.

"What'd I miss?" she asked innocently. The other women gaped at her. "I got a great deal at Nordie's half-year sale. Wanna see?"

-

"'I got a great deal at Nordie's half-year sale. Wanna see?'" Mackenzie deadpanned. She glanced up from the report at Feritzia who stood rigidly at attention, her hands shaking slightly at her sides. "You actually said that, Ricci?" the commander asked. The woman remained still. "Answer the question. That is an order," she said forcefully.

Feritzia blinked rapidly and then swallowed. "Yes," she replied quietly.

Mackenzie stood up from behind the desk. "I can't hear you," she said.

Feritzia stopped shaking and stepped forward. "Yes, sir," she said loudly, with a slight quiver toward the end. "Yes, sir, I said that...sir." The last word ended quietly.

Mackenzie sighed softly and replaced the papers back in the report. "Well, Ricci," she began, "under normal circumstances, I'd have you court-martialed. However, the paperwork for your official recruitment has been tragically lost, and I can't court-martial someone who's not officially in the Navy." Feritzia relaxed slightly. "Unfortunately for you, although your powers are still needed against the Lucifer Hawk, you have no recorded training. I'm afraid that you, Ms. Ricci are going to have to complete recruit training again."

The young woman visibly trembled.

"I'm also going to request extra survival training." Mackenzie met Feritzia's gaze. "The Navy, of course, apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused." Feritzia began to open her mouth, but quickly shut it as she noticed Mackenzie's expression twist into a scowl. Mackenzie looked at her hands and opened the report yet again. "You'll be leaving immediately for Illinois for recruit training. From your previous three attempts, I believe you'll remember what will happen over the next eight weeks.

"As for the rest of you…" She turned to the other ECC members standing at attention at the back of the room. Her voice dropped again to a dangerous tone. "You're not off of the hook. This...altercation resulted in the loss of three NYPD vehicles, the destruction of property, and a hysterical public that caused great trouble to explain and cover up both in the governmental and public venues. A lot of our budget has been cut." Calixa's shoulders sagged slightly. "That is all. Dismissed."

-

"Feri just needs to get over herself."

"Really, some courtesy would be nice on occasion."

"And whatever 'Daddy' said, it doesn't matter now. I don't think she understands that she's no longer under 'Daddy's' care anymore."

"I'm sure she was his little princess." Laughter rang throughout the group. "I can just see him giving her anything she wanted. Shoes, dresses, cars. I hate to think..."

Warm tears pooled on the bottom lids as Feritzia tried to blink them back. Her lips tilted down in a frown as she fought the urge to go defend herself, knowing that no one would listen or understand. Her small fists curled, her knuckles white as she slid undetected into the bathroom. More laughter filtered into the chamber, seeming to echo throughout the tiled walls.

"I bet she had everything she wanted. I can just see her with her mom in Macy's trying on the latest Cannel."

"It's Chanel," Feri mumbled in correction. She closed her aquamarine eyes, letting the gathering tears fall. (And they're wrong…I never got to share anything with my mother.)

"Why do you always have to clear everything through your daughter!" a woman's shrill voice wailed. Small aqua eyes peered through the slightly ajar door to the kitchen, watching as the woman positively strutted up to the taller man, her manicured hands clutching his larger, rougher ones. She looked up to him, pleading. "Please Lazzaro. We've got a good thing going here. I think that we can make it," she argued. "I'm sure that in time, that Feritzia will come to like—"

"No," the man replied. "She doesn't change her mind. And I can't have my only daughter and my future wife at odds with each other, Diane." She quickly let go of his hands, exasperated.

"Has there ever been a time that she did like the woman you were dating?" she asked.

Lazzaro shook his head, but his face remained impassive. "No."

"Then is there ever going to be a time that she will like the woman you want to marry?" she asked, her voice rising. "How long are you going to let her control your life?"

"What do you know?" cried a teenaged girl as she ran from her hiding place. She placed herself between the two adults, her disgusted gaze darting back and forth between them. "You aren't my mother! I don't need a mother!"

The older woman stepped closer to confront the teenager. "Then you can at least let your father be happy!" she yelled back. "He's earned that much after all these years."

"All you want is Daddy's money!" the younger woman accused. "You're all the same! All you want is the car and the house and designer clothes."

"That doesn't matter to me," the woman argued.

"It doesn't matter now," the girl replied. "But it will. And then you'll want to take him away from me." Suddenly, the argument seemed to halt as the girl burst into tears and ran from the kitchen.

"Feritzia!" the man called after her.

The woman grabbed his sleeve. "Please Lazzaro," she pleaded. "Don't—"

He raised his hand, silencing her. "It's over, Diane," he said quietly. "Please leave." A brief moment passed between them before she released her grip, gathered her suit jacket, her purse, and left the house. Lazzaro sighed, then followed his daughter.

Feritzia's hand went to her eye, wiping her tears, her fingers tracing over her tear-shaped birthmark. (Daddy always said it was because I was crying when Mommy died,) she thought. Her aqua eyes examined the liquid on the tips of her fingers, which shook slightly as she lowered her head. She closed her eyes, longing for some measure of comfort.

"You're wrong, Maris," she whispered. "Daddy may have bought me anything I wanted, but he couldn't bring back Mom."

-

"Now!" Calixta shouted as Feritzia froze the small Category 3 in mid-air. After remaining in mid-air for a few seconds, the image pixilated and dispersed along with the rest of the surrounding New York buildings, leaving the two women standing in the empty room. Feritzia took in a deep breath and stepped toward the door.

"Another part of my 'recruit training' complete...I guess," she mumbled.

Calixta patted her on the back as they walked. "Good job," she said as she opened the door, gesturing for Feritzia to follow. "Thankfully, Mackenzie worked out something so you didn't have to complete all of recruit training again. One more session at the base and you'll be ready for survival training."

The ice mage groaned in frustration. Turning on her heel, she faced her with a scowl on her face. "But I might have to eat bugs, Calixta," she whined, her arms gesturing wildly on her sides. "I can't stand bugs. They're gross and squishy and dirty and generally...ewww."

Biting back a smile, Calixta tried to console her. "At least you're not taking the full survival training," she offered. "And Mackenzie saved you from a recruiter's hair cut."

Feritzia groaned again. "The bob," she said fiercely. "A hair cut that should have stayed in the 1920s." The women walked further down the hall and stopped outside Calixta's office.

"I've got something for you," Calixta said as they entered the office. Feritzia glanced at her suspiciously. Calixta carefully lowered a box from an upper shelf and placed it on the desk.

"What's that?" Feritzia asked, looking at the long wooden box.

Calixta smiled enigmatically. "Mackenzie and Adara wanted to wait until you had control over your powers again before returning it to you," she said.

"Returning it to me?" Feritzia asked. "Return what?"

"This," she replied. "It was buried in the ice with you when we found you." The red-haired woman opened the box, revealing a crystal-like sword about a meter long with a swirling scabbard around the handle, which was also made of the crystal-like metal. Feritzia glanced at the sword and froze.

The cool surface was solid, almost marble-like in her hand. As she lifted her arm, a glimmering strand of glass-like ice entered her vision. On the tip was a red, viscous substance that dripped onto the floor. Blood. She looked around, finding a crouching young boy, holding the side of his arm and crying for his mother. The ice could cut, she realized. It wasn't melting. Yet it was clear, unclouded like similar crystals found in nature. It was perfectly clear, and lethal. Her mouth gaped open slightly, the scabbard swirling around her hand in fine arcs, protecting her hand from harm as she held it.

Calixta watched her teammate first freeze, then pale. "What's wrong, Feri?" she asked.

The younger woman shook her head and shifted in her seat. "I've held this sword before," she said.

Calixta looked confused. "But it's been here the entire time."

"No, I mean before you found me," Feritzia replied. "I've held it before. It...it can cut." Her voice got quieter, more uneven as she spoke. Her eyes were wide with fear.

"Do you know what it's used for?" Calixta asked. "Do you know what it is? We couldn't find out."

Feritzia stared at the sword, the memory replaying again in her mind. She touched the sword, quickly pulling her hand back. It was cold, just as she remembered it.

"I don't know what it was used for," she replied. "But if feels like ice, like I have power within it. It's reminds me of those glass triangles to make pretty rainbows..." Her hand closed around the handle as she slowly lifted it. "It's Prism."

-

Miakoda gathered up the cards and adjusted her green visor. "Who's in this round?" she asked.

"Everyone, I think," Adara said. "Feritzia?"

Feritzia huffed and folded her arms over her chest. "This is sucha stupid game!"

"Ahh, you're just saying that because you're losing," Maris noted. She only had a few more chips than Feritzia, but the fact didn't seem to bother her.

"I'm not playing anymore," Feritzia insisted.

"Sore loser!" Maris said, smirking.

"It's all right," Miakoda said. "She doesn't have to play. We can divide up her chips."

"Barely," Calixta mumbled.

Feritzia glared at Calixta. "Fine," she said. "I'm leaving."

"Good," said Maris. "I like your chips better anyway. And the first thing I'm doing with your winnings is buying myself a hat with a lobster on top. Or maybe I'll give it to you, since you were nice enough to help me out…"

Feritzia's eyes widened in horror. "My chips are not funding that fashion atrocity!" she screeched. She turned to Miakoda and commanded, "Deal me in."

Miakoda suppressed a smile. "All right," she said. "Everybody ante up." Poker chips clicked as the players threw them into the center of the table.

Calixta nudged Miakoda just before she started shuffling. "May as well make it worth her while," Calixta whispered. "Keep the game going a bit longer, you know."

Miakoda nodded, and shuffled expertly. Only a professional gambler would have noticed that she was stacking the deck. Then Miakoda cut the cards with one hand and began dealing.

Feritzia picked up her cards and stared at them, puzzled. "If you have five numbers all in a row, is that good?" she asked.

"Aw, shit!" exclaimed Maris, throwing her cards onto the table. "Fold." Everyone else likewise folded, and Amber looked regretfully at two eights and a pair of jacks.

"So, did I win?" Feritzia asked.

"Yes, you won," Adara said. "Although I don't know how." She eyed Miakoda skeptically.

The Navajo woman shrugged. "The spirits must be with her," she said, smiling.

"Some spirits," Amber muttered.

"I won!" Feritzia shrieked. "This game is so much fun!" She pulled all the chips toward her and began stacking them neatly.

Miakoda shuffled again. Adara watched her carefully. "Sometimes I wonder if you're stacking the deck," she said.

Calixta grinned. "I assure you, Commander, the cards are sufficiently randomized."

After modest bets from Adara and Feritzia, Maris took the rest of her chips and threw them into the center of the table. "I raise you all…however much that is."

"Seventy-five?" Calixta asked, counting it quickly.

"Yeah," Maris said. "Seventy-five." She leaned forward aggressively. "Anyone want to take me on?"

Next to her, Amber looked at her cards and sighed. "Fold."

Calixta looked at her cards and then back at Maris, who was smirking. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off her face…but unfortunately, a pair of tens probably wasn't going to beat whatever Maris had. "Fold," she said reluctantly.

Miakoda also folded, but Adara took some of her chips and placed them in the center of the table. "I'll see you," she said.

"Fine," Maris said. "Kiss those chips good-bye, cause your sorry ass ain't ever seeing them again."

Feritzia narrowed her eyes and counted her remaining chips. "You are so bluffing," she said. She shoved her remaining chips, which totaled exactly seventy-five, to the center of the table. "Let's see if you're as good as you think you are."

Maris threw her cards face-up on the table. "Club flush. If either of you sorry-ass pansies can beat that, go right ahead."

Adara turned her cards face-up. "I guess I should have known three sixes were bad luck," she sighed.

"Well?" Maris said. "Can Feritzia play with the big girls, or do we have to send her back to the kiddie playground?"

Feritzia blushed furiously, and tears sprang to her eyes. "Fine!" she shouted. "Let's make fun of Feritzia! Feritzia can't play poker! Feritzia can't do anything right! Feritzia's just a stupid little girl who messes everything up! That's what you all think, isn't it?" She threw her cards on the table and stalked out of the room.

Miakoda glanced at the cards strewn across the table. "She had a royal flush," she murmured, her voice tinged with awe.

Everyone looked at each other awkwardly. "I'll be right back," said Calixta as she got up and followed Feritzia out of the room.

-

Feritzia leaned against a wall, crying. Calixta walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. "Feri?" she said.

"Go away," Feritzia sobbed. "I'm sick of people seeing me crying."

"Fine," Calixta said. "I'll close my eyes, then."

Curious, Feritzia turned around, and saw that Calixta did indeed have her eyes firmly shut. She smiled a little in spite of herself.

"You want to know what I think?"

Feritzia jumped. It was strange hearing Calixta's voice without seeing her eyes. And the last thing she wanted right now was pity, or a lecture, or any attention at all. She just wanted Calixta to go away. "No," she said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "I don't."

"Well, I'm insulted," Calixta said. "If I could see you, I'd slap you where you stand."

The calm, mild tones of Calixta's voice convinced Feritzia that she wasn't insulted at all. This infuriated Feritzia for some reason. "Well, all you have to do is open your eyes," she said irritably.

Calixta's brown eyes popped open. "You're right," she said. "That's much better."

"So," said Feritzia, beginning to get annoyed, "aren't you going to slap me?"

"Why should I?"

"Because I can't do anything right!" shouted Feritzia. "Because I can't get along with anyone, because I can't keep myself from getting angry, or crying, or—or being stupid or silly just because I can't win at poker, and what kind of loser can't even play poker?"

"Well," Calixta said soothingly, "at least you have enough sense not to buy a lobster hat."

Feritzia laughed, but then choked up as she started sobbing again. "B-but that doesn't matter, I mean, not really, because at least Maris doesn't m-mess up fights with the Lucifer Hawks—"

"She has before, though," Calixta interrupted.

"—and Adara is furious with me because I almost got people k-killed again—"

"Adara has absolutely no room to talk," Calixta said sharply. "Trust me, she's made her share of mistakes, too. We all have."

"But I make more of them than anyone else!" Feritzia shouted. "And I don't want it to be my fault if someone dies. And I'm tired of everyone thinking that I don't care about them, because it's not true!"

Calixta let a long silence slide by, and then sighed. "I know," she said. "I know."

"And I know what my problems are, but I don't know what to do about them!"

"Yes, you do."

"I do?" Feritzia turned to Calixta, eyes wide in astonishment.

"All you have to do," Calixta said, "is open your eyes."

Feritzia blinked. "I don't understand."

"Sometimes I get upset about things, and I focus on myself, and on how I'm feeling, and it's like closing my eyes to the outside world," Calixta said. "I don't see anything except what's going on inside my head. I can't tell how other people feel, or what they need, or figure out how to do what I need to do. But when I look outside myself, and watch what's really happening, I find that I can deal with things better."

"So…watching will help me fight Lucifer Hawks?"

"Well, fighting Lucifer Hawks is a lot like playing poker," Calixta said. "There are three parts to it: skill, experience, and knowing your opponent. The last one is by far the most important. And if you watch your opponent, you get an idea of what you're up against…"

"…and how to win," Feritzia finished.

"Usually, yes. And another thing."

"What's that?" Feritzia asked.

"If you watch people and try to see what they really think, need, and want, you may find that people don't hate you nearly as much as you think. And speaking of poker—"

"I'm already out."

"Not if I give you 200 worth of chips." Calixta grinned.

"Well…" Feritzia weighed her options. "I guess I'll play until I run out again."

"Good. And I'll give you a free hint I've learned by watching these games. When Maris is bluffing, she takes a swig from her beer bottle first. It's a pretty obvious tell."

"Thanks!" Feritzia beamed.

"No problem," Calixta said, winking. "Just promise me that if you beat her, you'll give her a good trash talk. It'll make her respect you more."

"I promise," Feritzia said, her eyes glinting.

"Good," Calixta said. "Back to the game, then."

-

Feritzia looked from her cards back to Adara's bid of fifteen on the table. She had two pair, which was the first good hand she'd had since coming back. Also, fifteen was a fairly low bid for Adara. "I'll raise you five," she concluded, tossing a chip into the pile.

"Whatsa matter, you spineless landlubbers?" Maris demanded. She guzzled some beer and slammed the bottle on the table. "Can't handle the big stakes?" She swept the rest of her chips into the center of the table. "I'll raise you all this big-ass pile of chips here…if you can handle it."

Amber's eyes narrowed as she reached for her chips. Suddenly she felt a swift kick to her shin. "Ow!" she exclaimed. She rubbed her shin and glared at Calixta, who smiled innocently. Well, she wasn't about to be intimidated by such amateurish tactics. "I'll see your—ow!" Amber turned to Calixta. "Do you mind?"

Calixta shrugged. "I'd hate for you to lose."

"Lose what? My leg?"

Calixta smiled enigmatically. Amber stared at her, eyes aflame. Finally, the Mexican woman turned back to Maris. "Fold."

Calixta smiled, and sighed inwardly as she turned a full house face down. "Fold."

Miakoda glanced swiftly at Calixta and understood. "Fold."

Adara assessed her hand, looked at her dwindling pile of chips, and concluded that she should also fold.

Feritzia counted the appropriate number of chips and threw them into the pile. "I'll see you," she said.

"Aw, shit," Maris said. She flipped her cards face up. "Pair of twos."

Feritzia smiled smugly. "You know, I don't think that beats two pair." She turned her cards up triumphantly.

"Fucking hell!" Maris exclaimed. She stared at her cards. "Guess I'm out."

"And you call yourself a card shark." Feritzia grinned, savoring the moment. "You look more like a guppy to me. Do we need to take you out to the kiddie pool?"

Maris took a swig of beer. "Nah," she said. "Let's just take it outside. Fight it out." She jabbed at the air with her fists.

"Um…" Feritzia swallowed and looked nervously at Calixta, who smiled and nodded encouragingly. (This wasn't part of the plan,) she thought. (If anything goes wrong, I'm going to kill you and make sure you get buried in an ugly dress.)

"Okay," she said, standing up to her full height and speaking with a bluster she didn't feel. "Let's fight! You know I'll kick your skinny New England…butt."

Maris roared with laughter. "In those shoes? Come on!"

Feritzia looked down at her stiletto-heeled lace-up shoes. "What? I like these shoes!"

"Next round!" Miakoda said hastily. Feritzia sat back down, and Maris grabbed her beer bottle off the table and stood against the wall to watch. Miakoda shuffled and dealt to the remaining five players.

Adara looked at her cards with great interest, and suddenly they burst into flames. "Damn!" she exclaimed. She quickly smothered the cards with her hand and extinguished the fire. "I got a little too excited there."

"Good hand?" Maris asked carelessly.

Adara stared regretfully at the charred black cards. "It was a straight flush."

"It's all right," Miakoda said. "I have another deck." She took it out and began shuffling again.

Just then, Mackenzie entered the room. Miakoda immediately dropped the cards and stood up at attention. The others followed suit.

"At ease," Mackenzie said. "There's no trouble right now." Everyone relaxed, and Mackenzie smiled. "What are you playing?"

"Five card stud, no wilds," Miakoda responded promptly.

"May I join you?"

"Of course," Miakoda replied.

"You can have my seat," Maris said. "I just lost."

"Thank you," Mackenzie said, smiling graciously. Just as she sat down, the alarm began ringing.

Calixta pulled out her portable computer and linked to the alarm system. "It's in an alley at 7th and West 124th."

"Cards can wait," Mackenzie said. "Get moving."

She didn't have to tell them twice—or even once, for that matter. The ECC members jumped up and ran to the STAV, ready for a fight.

-

The ECC fought in a cramped alleyway, mindful of the large group of people gathered at the nearby theatre on the other side of the block. Spotlights swooped through the air, while on the other side of the building, globes of fire and eerie green-orange orbs of energy whizzed by to hit the trash bins and other objects in the alley. Cornered and losing strength quickly, the Hawk fought against another graviton strike quickly followed by another near-strike from Nauticus.

"God damn it," Maris cursed under her breath. "Hurry up with the spell Miakoda. We don't have all night!"

Adara took up her position to the right of Maris, thus surrounding the Category 2 Hawk. Calixta fired another round at the Hawk, sending it in the direction opposite her where Amber fired another round. Maris sliced off a section of the amoeba-like creature.

Another globe of fire hit the Hawk, as well as a jab from a new weapon, Prism. Feritzia slashed again. The sword caused the Hawk to squeal again in pain.

"Miakoda, now!" Adara ordered. The Native American closed her eyes and focused, her hands drawn together as if in prayer. A brownish glow took on the air around Miakoda as she incanted. Her hands extended, a ghostly image of an eagle spread from her hands and upward out of sight, until a pillar of light filtered down from the sky—a brilliant bluish white that seemed to first spotlight the Hawk, then immobilize it. The ECC members relaxed a little as it stood stationary and shrieked a high pitch that was distinctly inhuman. Feritzia looked at the creature as it turned from orange to brown and finally to black, and began to shrink while it screamed. Her eyes grew wide and she froze.

Cement grey surrounded her within the room. At her feet, the six pointed star extended out to the perimeter where six people stood at the points. She raised her head and met the eyes of a large man with jet-black hair and turquoise eyes that almost glowed. He seemed to not notice her as she pleaded for him to help her. He, like the other five, wore similar robes of black with red trim, as they all spoke in a language foreign to her. Whether it was human or alien, she did not know, but the guttural tones only added to her apprehension.

Suddenly, her movements and thoughts weren't her own. Her head tilted back, her eyes gazing at a point on the low cement ceiling. She spoke words she did not know and felt power she did not have over take her while she became imprisoned within her own mind. The bluish white light surrounded her. She screamed.

The light faded from the sky, leaving no trace of the Hawk. A piercing scream cut through the night as Feritzia fell forward, grasping her head. Her sword rolled on the wet pavement before her and Calixta knelt at her side. Babbling incoherently, the ice mage wept.

-

"Come in," Adara ordered lightly. The door opened slowly, allowing Feritzia to pass quickly and quietly through before closing again with an audible click. She faced her commanding officer at attention.

"Reporting as ordered, sir," she said. Her tone was neutral, and it lacked the usual edge of defiance displayed when Adara was around.

The auburn-haired woman rose to her feet, gesturing to the two seats in front of her. "At ease," she said. "Have a seat." Feritzia broke her stiff posture, settling into the seat, but refrained from truly being comfortable. Adara took her seat as well and looked at the ensign.

Feritzia's eyes were still slightly red from the emotional outburst from only a few hours ago. She seemed distant, almost resigned. Despite the annoyance that Feritzia often caused within the ranks of the ECC, Adara was worried. Something had cracked within the young woman, and it was her job to make sure it was mended as quickly as possible. With the constant increase in Hawk attacks and no one else to fall back on, the ECC needed all the people they had. Thoughts of the impending words with Mackenzie and potentially Marshall made her internally flinch at what privileges and budgets they would cut next should Feritzia be called unfit for service. She sighed, rolling her chair closer to her desk, and the woman across from her. Pursing her lips, she gathered her thoughts and then began.

"Ensign Ricci," she started then lowered her tone, "Feritzia. I wanted to talk to you about what happened earlier tonight." She paused until Feritzia met her gaze. "I need to know if you're all right."

Feritzia's aqua eyes looked down at the floor and she blinked rapidly before sighing dramatically. She looked earnestly at Adara. "Permission to speak freely, sir," she asked.

Adara nodded. "Granted," she said.

Feritzia tossed her hair over her shoulder and sighed again before continuing. "I know that we don't exactly, well, get along...well." She gestured with her hands. Adara nodded, encouraging her to go on. "But I need your help. What happened was that I saw..." She faded away and then started a new train of thought altogether. "Do you promise that this will not get back to the rest of the ECC?" she asked.

Adara restrained shock from surfacing on her features then swallowed. "You have my word," she said. Feritzia nodded slightly. She fidgeted with her hands for a few moments, seemingly stalling. Adara was beginning to get impatient when Feritzia finally spoke.

"I think I'm getting my memories back," she said very softly. "Memories of what happened before I was…trapped. I remember being in a room. It might have been underground. I remember a star, like the ones we wear. I remember..." she swallowed at the fear that burned behind her eyes. She blinked then continued. "I remember these people. They were saying things and I was scared. I was wrapped in a pillar of light and I screamed." She licked her lips and fidgeted again. "I recognized someone."

Adara waited. "Who was it?" she asked.

Feritzia let the tears fall again. "Jerel," she whispered. She cried quietly before looking at Adara. "Help me find out what happened to me," she pleaded. "I need to know what happened."

Adara quickly began to formulate a suspicion in her mind. She needed to talk to Mackenzie. She nodded. "I'll help you find out," she replied, standing up to escort Feritzia to the door. "Be assured that what was said in here stays in here. I'll have to pull some strings, but we'll figure out what happened to you." She opened the door. "Dismissed."

Feritzia started to walk passed her but turned and stopped. She took a breath. "Thank you," she said wiping her eyes. "But if I'm right, I'm the one to blame for this anyway." She saluted and walked down the hall.

Adara watched her leave before slowly closing the door and reaching for the phone. Her fingers automatically dialled her commanding officer. "Sir, it's Adara," she said into the receiver. "I need to ask a favor."

-

"Feritziaaaa!" Maris roared at the top of her lungs, and listened as her shout echoed throughout the huge guest house. After a few minutes of impatient pacing, the sound of high heels on ceramic tile answered her, and a highly annoyed Feritzia strolled into the room.

"What's the matter now?" Feritzia groaned, twisting indigo hair between her fingers and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "You going swimming?" she asked, noticing the swimsuit that Maris was dressed in.

"The matter is your damn dishes." Maris ignored the last comment, and gestured towards the sink full of slimy, crusty dishes and utensils. "These have been here for the entire week, if not longer. If these are ever going to be usable again, you better clean them up sometime this fucking decade!"

Feritzia rolled her eyes. "Come on, it's not my problem. Somebody else'll take care of it. If you're going to call me down here, at least make it something important."

"Somebody else'll take care of it!" Maris repeated incredulously. "Who else? I sure as hell ain't doing 'em! Can't you clean up your own damn mess!"

"The maid will take care of it." Feritzia waved absently, and started to head back upstairs.

"We don't have a maid!" Maris's reproach stopped Feritzia short. "Adara has a lady that comes to clean twice a month! And she has enough to do without worrying about your fucking dishes!"

"Hey, I'm not the only one who doesn't do chores around here," Feritzia shot back. "Half of those dishes in there are yours. If you care so much, you can clean them."

"I…just..SAID I wasn't cleaning them!" Maris charged around so that she was facing Feritzia again. "I at least get my chores done more often than you. Can't you last one hour without making someone else do something for you?"

"I just don't see why I should bother with it if I don't care, and you're just as much to blame as me. Besides, I just did my nails, and dishwasher soap does absolute murder to nail polish."

Maris held shaking hands a few inches away from her thighs, as if barely restraining herself from doing absolute murder to Feritzia. "I honestly cannot wait another minute until you move out of this fucking house forever," she said between gritted teeth. "Day after day…all I do is hear you bitch about so much worthless crap!"

Feritzia just narrowed her eyes and took a step back, as if trying to avoid an unpleasant odor from Maris. "And all I do is listen to you curse at anything that goes wrong. This isn't your house either, Maris, so why don't you move out?"

"If only I could!" Maris twitched somewhat. "I've been saving up what I can from my salary this last month so that I can afford a down-payment! All you've been doing with your money is buying more goddamn shoes!"

"I don't see your point," Feritzia said, examining her nails.

Maris didn't answer for a minute, and her face turned several interesting shades of red. Finally, she responded with a typical "Fuck this!" and stormed out of the kitchen.

Feritzia watched her go with a look of disdain, and then removed a bottle of sparkling water from the refrigerator. She looked around for cups, and then realized why Maris had been so angry…all of the cups were still in the sink with the rest of the dirty dishes. All that were left were mugs and wine glasses, and those were just no good for water. Feritzia pursed her lips, absolutely refusing to wash any dishes now and prove Maris right. But that still meant she was without the sparkling water. (This is all Maris's fault! She should've told me there were no cups!) Feritzia thought furiously; the bottle clenched in her fingers started to frost over.

"Ma-ris!" Feritzia called out, hoping she could annoy Maris into washing some dishes for her. There was no answer. Feritzia wandered around several rooms, calling out for Maris, and still getting no response. The more she looked, the more irritated she became…a simple glass of water shouldn't require this much effort. Finally it dawned on her where Maris was…the same place Maris always went to "get away from Feri's goddamn bitching."

Feritzia marched back though several more rooms until she reached the backyard patio and adjoining pool. Maris was doing laps until she noticed Feritzia, then she dived down to the bottom.

"Maris!" Feritzia approached the pool cautiously, and leaned over Maris's position. "Maris, come up here, I need you to do something!"

There was no reply. Feritzia fumed, suddenly furious with the knowledge that Maris didn't need to come up for air. "Fine then…if you wanna stay down there, then stay down there!" she said with an icy glare.

-

Adara entered her guest house with a feeling of uneasiness…it was unnaturally quiet, at least as far as Maris and Feri were concerned. Her uneasiness turned into irritation as she noticed a pile of crusty dishes in the sink…no doubt another product of their eternal stubbornness. "Maris! Feritzia!" Adara called out. Her voice just echoed back to her, and Adara began to wonder how much yelling these walls were receiving.

Finally, Feritzia trudged into the kitchen, examining her nails and holding a bottle of sparkling water. "Hey, Adara. What is it?" she said in a tone that indicated she didn't care in the least what it was.

Adara sighed. "The chief wants us back at Headquarters, suited up and ready to go. Some kind of Hawk problem we need to handle out of state. I tried to call you, but no one answered." Adara finished her statement with an accusing glare.

"Oh, I thought it was a telemarketer." Feritzia shrugged.

"Telemarketers don't call on the private ECC line," Adara said, twitching. "But it's a little late for that! Just hurry up and get dressed. And where the heck is Maris?"

Feritzia shrugged again. "Don't ask me. Probably off catching lobsters or something gross like that." She shuffled off towards her bedroom.

Adara left Feritzia to her own devices, hoping that she would at least be halfway dressed in the next half hour. She searched around the guest house for Maris, but couldn't seem to find her. Finally, out on the patio, she thought she heard a dull thumping noise. (Don't tell me Feri did something as childish as locking Maris in the closet…) Adara thought suddenly. She followed the noise until she walked outside to the pool…and stopped cold.

Covering the entire pool was a sheet of ice nearly half a foot thick. Maris's silhouette was barely visible beneath the ice, pounding on the barrier and going through just about every obscene word in her vocabulary.

Adara groaned aloud, and wondered why, of all the people who couldn't afford their own housing, it had to be Maris and Feritzia. (Whoever thought water and ice would clash this badly?)

-

Calixta lowered the 'Aurora' close to the water's edge, grimacing at the tight squeeze presented below her. The normally bustling dock was now eerily quiet, although that was not necessarily good news for the ECC.

"Looks like the naval department finally got their act together for this," Miakoda commented, scanning the horizon. "I don't see any civilians around."

"Good thing too, because those reports were right," Calixta said, studying her scanners with a frown. "There are two Hawks out there…extra-large Category Twos, by the look of it."

"All right, we'll try and get these Hawks to separate. I get the sense that we don't quite have the strength to take on both at once. Maris, Amber and Miakoda will take one, and the rest of us will get the other. You all are given permission to use whatever means necessary to bring these two down." Adara's words were confident, but her feelings were anything but. She then turned to Feritzia, who was sitting stiffly in her chair and gripping Prism. "I don't think I need to reiterate the seriousness of the situation. I expect all of you to be paying close attention to this fight, and not make any stupid mistakes."

Feritzia shot back a confident "yes sir," but her hands squeezed around Prism trembled. She knew that she hadn't done so well in their last few training sessions, but she hadn't been the only one who'd made mistakes, and she couldn't help feeling that Adara was singling her out.

They clambered out of the 'Aurora' one by one, squinting at the cold ocean wind that suddenly bit at their skin. Maris took in a deep breath and stretched, looking very invigorated. "At last, some real room to work! This feels a lot like home."

"I still don't see how you could stand to live here," Feritzia muttered, rubbing her shoulders. "It's freezing!"

"Little Miss Ice Mage thinks it's too cold?" Maris mocked, leaning in a little too close for comfort. "Considering an incident concerning the dishes and a swimming pool, I'd say it's no less than you deserve. If you don't want to do any work, then just sit back and let Nauticus and me take care of things. You'd probably just mess things up, anyway."

Feritzia glared back at Maris, who was giving her a haughty look. "I can fight Lucifer Hawks just as well as you can, if not better. And now that I have Prism, there's no way those Hawks can beat me."

"I guess we'll just have to see who has the better sword," Maris challenged, and walked off to join Amber and Miakoda. Feritzia didn't answer, and wondered if Maris was just acting tough, especially with the strong feeling of ice magic in the air. If there was more ice magic present, it would certainly help Feri more than anyone else.

Adara came up beside Feritzia as Calixta's voice came from the 'Aurora.' "The Hawks are taking the bait…one is moving towards each group."

"I don't see anything," Adara said, despising the ever-present coastal fog.

"That's because you're not underwater," Calixta explained. "I think the one coming our way is a water Lucifer Hawk."

"Perfect…and Maris is on the other end of the dock," Adara groaned. She knew that her fire powers were not going to be much of a threat against a water Hawk. "Feri, I'm counting on you for this one. Just try and freeze the Hawk in place, and we'll go at it."

"Salt water doesn't freeze," Feritzia pointed out. "I'd just have to wait until it surfaced anyway."

"Just do whatever you can," Adara snapped back.

Right as they turned to face the ocean, a massive bulge broke the calm surface, charging towards the dock at a breakneck speed. Before anyone could even blink, an enormous tentacle whipped from the water around Adara's leg, throwing her onto her back. The tentacle receded back towards the water, dragging Adara along with it. "Feritzia!" Adara yelled between thumps on wood.

Feritzia charged forward, holding Prism in an attack position. She drove the sword into the tentacle, and yelled out a spell to freeze it in place. However, the Hawk barely flinched at the attack, and continued to drag Adara away. Just before Adara reached the end of the dock, she grabbed her gun from its holster and shot herself free.

"I tried to get it, I don't know what happened—" Feritzia blurted as Adara got to her feet, shaken and furious.

A half dozen more tentacles shot out of the water, along with a monstrous fish-like head lined with jagged teeth. Adara and Feritzia avoided the whipping tentacles as best they could, although it was impossible to get a lock on the Hawk's head because of them. Calixta took the hint, and flew the 'Aurora' close behind her teammates. "Let's see how well you dodge, Calixta yelled, and fired a torrent of missiles at the Hawk's head.

Their opponent let out a garbled moan of pain, and the ocean around them frothed from the explosions. However, when the spray settled, the Hawk appeared only somewhat scarred. If nothing else, it seemed some of the missiles had bounced off its skin. "Okay, so dodging wasn't necessary. Aren't you the special one," Calixta scoffed down at the dock.

"Calixta, you do realize we're the only ones that can hear you," Adara called back.

"Right," Calixta said. "Sorry."

When the Hawk couldn't seem to reach the two humans, it resorted to smashing the dock to splinters, causing its opponents to retreat. Adara threw a handful of fireballs at the Lucifer Hawk, and they seemed to do some damage, but most of the flames were extinguished by the seawater. "Feritzia, get in there!" Adara yelled.

Feritzia nodded, and tried her best to stand her ground against the collapsing dock. She concentrated all of her will into her hands and Prism, feeling her blood run cold with the power of ice. More than anything, she wanted to defeat this Lucifer Hawk…she wanted to prove that she was fast, that she was capable, that she was better than all of them at this dangerous job. She was tired of Adara's scolding, Maris's jeers, Miakoda's aloofness, Amber's disappointment, Calixta's sympathy and Mackenzie's authority. She concentrated her energy until her hands went numb all the way up to her elbows, then released it in an immense spell at the Lucifer Hawk. It hit the Hawk between the eyes, spreading ice down its snout and along its webbed spikes. The Hawk let out a squeak as the ice solidified in its blood, freezing it in place. Feritzia felt a grin spread across her face.

Just then, the Lucifer Hawk stirred, and thrust its head up violently. Huge chunks of ice flew from its body as if it were shaking off water. Pieces of the ice smashed through the dock, and barely missed both Adara and the 'Aurora.' Feritzia then realized where the ice magic was coming from… (That Lucifer Hawk is using the same magic I am!)

The sound of splintering metal caused Adara and Feritzia to turn around. The 'Aurora' was teetering precariously in midair; one of the small steering wings torn in half. Calixta was yelling something incomprehensible, and doing her best to keep the STAV aloft. A massive Lucifer Hawk suddenly appeared above it, and sneered down at them.

"Where the heck are the others!" Adara said between gritted teeth.

Her question was answered by Maris, Miakoda and Amber running up alongside the concrete walk to their position. "We tried to keep him there…but he just…" Amber huffed, out of breath. Miakoda's jacket was stained with dark red splotches, although she was choosing to ignore this fact.

"Why didn't you tell me you guys had a water Hawk! Let me at him!" Maris said. She stripped off her ECC uniform, revealing a black wetsuit underneath. Holding Nauticus to her side, she dived into the water without another word.

"Feritzia, you let Maris handle the water Hawk! I don't want you freezing Nauticus or something ridiculous like that," Adara demanded.

"I wasn't going to—"

"Calixta, land the 'Aurora' now!" Adara said, watched as the second Hawk circled the STAV menacingly.

"I can't do anything if I'm on the ground!" Calixta yelled back.

"You can't do anything if you're dead, either," Adara growled, not in the mood to argue with her subordinates. "Land the 'Aurora,' and you can help fight on foot."

The Hawk swung its arm suddenly, knocking the back fin off the vehicle and sending it into a tailspin. It landed roughly on the concrete, thick smoke, spewing from the rear.

"Calixta!" several voices shouted at once.

Calixta emerged from under the 'Aurora,' coughing and drawing her weapon. She stared in horror at the wrecked STAV, then turned her fury towards the Hawk. "I speak for the taxpayers of America when I say you are going down!"

Feritzia studied the new Hawk carefully, and felt the same sort of power she'd felt from the first one…both their opponents were endowed with ice magic. She just couldn't understand why Adara or Miakoda couldn't sense it as well. "Adara, these Lucifer Hawks are—"

"Feritzia, stop talking and get helping! Distract it while Miakoda and I take this thing down."

Feritzia fumed. How was she supposed to use ice magic against this Lucifer Hawk when it was unaffected by her spells? Amber and Calixta were firing repeatedly at the Hawk, but it was dodging all of their bullets. (Perhaps if I can get it to stay still while Calixta and Amber shoot it…)

She concentrated again, and this time directed her spell at the sea-dampened ground. A thin layer of ice quickly spread out around the Hawk, causing it to slip and land hard. It didn't do much good, however, as the ice also spread under Calixta and Amber's feet. Their boots skidded on the unstable ground, and they were unable to recover as quickly as the Lucifer Hawk.

Miakoda grabbed several sprigs of herbs from her pouch and held them away from her. She closed her eyes and began to chant in Navajo. Adara sparked a small flame beneath the herbs, which quickly consumed them in a burst of blue and purple smoke. Miakoda scattered the ashes and brought her hands in to her chest. Calixta, Amber and Feritzia scrambled to get out of the way, seeing that she was preparing to launch a large spell. The Lucifer Hawk, sensing the Miakoda was apparently defenseless, charged forward.

"Mai-coh!" Miakoda cried, her voice reverberating in the cold air.

Just as the Hawk was upon her, a huge silver-gray image of a wolf appeared from her outstretched arms. The wolf let out an unearthly howl before closing its jaws around the Hawk's throat.

The Hawk roared, clawing at the blue-green blood that was spilling from its cut throat. The wolf disappeared into the ocean mist, and Miakoda collapsed from exhaustion as soon as it was gone. The Hawk writhed on the icy ground, attempting to reach one of the ECC members in its death throes. Several bullets from Amber and Calixta and a fire spell from Adara finally finished off their enemy.

Amber glared at Feritzia, brushing the ice off her pants. "Careful with those spells, okay? We're not on ice skates, here."

"I was just trying to—"

Feritzia was interrupted once again by the water Lucifer Hawk. It broke the water in an explosion of sound, and flung Maris back onto land. She got back to her feet, wincing, and tossed her dripping hair out of her eyes. "Damn bastard's slippery as an eel! I can't ever get a good hit on him."

Ms. Lynn, it also seems that this creature is resistant to the attacks you are using,Nauticus commented.

Feritzia stared into the Lucifer Hawk, and it stared back at her. Even with its dull, fish-like eyes, it seemed to be looking at her with an air of superiority, mocking her frustration. It knew that her powers were not very effective against it, and it intended to use that fact to its advantage. It was intending to make her powers seem useless…and her teammates believed it.

Feritzia felt an intense fury burning away the ice in her body. (I'm sick of everyone being against me…not just these Hawks, but also my teammates! And it's because of them that I can never keep anyone happy!)

The fury intensified until Feritzia's fingers turned blue. She pointed Prism at the Lucifer Hawk and directed all of her energy at it, not caring whether or not it also used ice magic. The ice spell struck the Hawk dead-on…and bounced right off. A hailstorm of ice rained back on the ECC, covering the broken dock in frozen pebbles and producing several shouts from the women. Feritzia covered her face from the ice crystals, but also from the looks she knew she was getting from her teammates.

"Maris, do you want to try that one spell we found?" Adara called out as the Lucifer Hawk charged forward again.

"You bet," Maris answered, holding Nauticus at a ready position. Adara had discovered the combination spell while searching through some old books of hers, and she and Maris had been practicing it for the past few weeks. It seemed like an appropriate time to put it to the test.

/Rain of fire, rain of ice/

/Opposing forces meet to make/

/A rain of wind and blood/

/I call upon the life-giver/

/Urias sel hydris/

/Yurias kel hydris/

/Lurias tel hydris/

As Maris said her half of the spell in Atlantean, a swirling whirlpool of seawater originated from Nauticus, causing the Lucifer Hawk to halt momentarily. At the same time, Adara completed her half in English:

/Rain of fire, rain of ice/

/Opposing forces meet to make/

/A rain of wind and blood/

/I call upon the death-bringer/

/Lurias tel pyris/

/Yurias kel pyris/

/Urias sel pyris/

From Adara's hands, a column of flame spread and encircled Maris's whirlpool. Fire and water met in a stormcloud of steam and heat. The vortex of boiling water collided with the Hawk and surrounded it. From somewhere within the cloud of steam and water, an inhuman shriek of pain was heard; the sound of a creature being boiled alive. The steam from the whirlpool spread out until it covered everything they could see, and there was a brief moment of panic when any warnings of danger were completely hidden. As the steam finally died away, so did the Hawk's shriek. When the air was clear once again, all that was left was half-melted ice on the broken dock.

"See? Lobsters really do scream when you boil 'em alive," Maris said with satisfaction.

The ECC slowly recovered themselves, some quicker than others. Adara turned angrily to Feritzia, who was standing wet and bewildered.

"I thought I said for everyone to watch what they were doing! Did you even stop to think about the people around you! You had us running for our lives more often than the Lucifer Hawks!"

Feritzia's shoulders slumped. The Hawks were dead, but the frustration hadn't gone away. "I was trying my best…but those Lucifer Hawks were using my spells…"

"Yes, and more effectively than you," Adara interrupted. The field commander took a deep breath and then walked toward the STAV to asses the damage.

Maris came up behind Feritzia and added, "Told you to let me handle things. By the way…your shoes are wet."

"I don't care about the shoes…" Feritzia started to say, but Maris stopped listening. Feritzia looked around for anyone who would listen to her, but Amber was helping Miakoda with her wounds, and Calixta was too distraught over the damage to the 'Aurora' to notice anything else. Even if they did speak to her, Feritzia knew what sort of feelings she'd receive…resentment, disappointment and sympathy. (They're no better than me…so why is everything my fault?)

-

Mackenzie flipped through the reports a second time, then looked back up at her subordinates. They all wore identical looks of both satisfaction and hesitance, except for Feritzia, who didn't bother with the satisfaction.

"I see you managed to destroy both the Lucifer Hawks, but not without damaging the surrounding area, the STAV, and yourselves," Mackenzie stated plainly.

"I'll be fine," Miakoda reassured her. "Just some scratches…it should be healed in a few days."

Mackenzie knew that Miakoda was underestimating her injuries, but decided not to press the matter…Miakoda was at least a little more realistic than Calixta. "And Ensign Ricci…" Feritzia froze. "I have some conflicting reports concerning your conduct during this battle."

"There was nothing wrong with my conduct—"

"Ensign Ricci, I already have your opinion on this matter. The problem is that this is obviously not the first complaint I've heard about you." Mackenzie tapped the papers into a neat stack. "We did come here to fight those particular Lucifer Hawks. However, Equine Cleanup and Control is also going to begin evaluation by the naval committee concerning our budget and our progress," Mackenzie continued amidst groans from the other six women. "Reports of your misconduct have reached the Chief of Naval Operations…you're to report to him at 15:00 hours two days from now at his office. I suggest you wear something nice," she finished curtly.

The other women suddenly became very quiet. Sure they all had their complaints about Feri, but they never thought it would get her in trouble with anyone higher than Mackenzie. Feritzia gulped visibly.

"Dismissed."

-

Next Episode Preview:

Feritzia: Just when things couldn't get any worse…they get a lot better! Someone important to me has returned! But I can't shake this feeling that there's something different about him…and I'm not sure how my teammates will react if they find out who he really is.

Chapter 12: Time Enough


	12. Time Enough

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny

Book 1: New York

Chapter 12: Time Enough

Authors: OSTOCOM

Email and Website: See our profile

Rating: R for language

Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See Book 0 for complete disclaimer.

Feritzia sat outside the office rigidly, scuffing her high heels on the dark marble floor. She didn't dare look at the door to her left, as what would happen beyond it was already overwhelming her imagination. (This is it,) she thought with clenched teeth. (This isn't Adara or Mackenzie…this is the Chief of Naval Operations. He's going to look at my record and…I might as well start packing my things now.) Feritzia breathed out heavily, thought for a moment, then immediately began fussing with her hair.

"Ms. Feritzia Ricci?"

Feritzia jumped at the sound of a sharp voice. She turned and saw an auburn-haired woman with eyes of ice staring at her. She was dressed in a well-tailored suit, and Feri thought her a woman of dangerous, pointed edges. "The admiral will see you now."

Feritzia got to her feet and followed the woman into the office. She steeled herself for the moment she'd have to face her superior…and all her resolve melted the moment she saw him.

The Chief of Naval Operations was seated behind an expansive, impeccably clean desk. He was surprisingly young-looking for his age, although a few distinguished grey hairs graced his temples. His most startling features however, were the intense turquoise eyes that held Feritzia captive, stirring long-dormant memories. He smiled as Feritzia entered, and held his arms open. "My dear Feri."

"Jerel!"

Feritzia suddenly felt the world and all its worries dissolve around her as she ran forward and buried herself in Jerel's arms. All of the confusion, the frustration, the loneliness she had felt since being revived amounted to nothing. She found icy tears sliding down her face, but they were tears of happiness. "Jerel, I…I thought you were dead…"

Jerel laughed softly. "Hey there, settle down." He pulled her back and wiped her tears away. "Look at you…after all this time you haven't aged a day."

"Well, neither have you," Feritzia responded.

"I guess that's to be expected." Jerel brushed the lock of silver hair behind her ear. "You must tell me what happened! After that night everything was insane and I wasn't able to find you."

Feritzia finally seemed to realize her position, and she found a seat for herself. "I don't know what happened. I just remember it felt like the world was falling to pieces. I didn't want to do anything or see anyone. I just wanted to disappear. And then it all got cold…colder than even I can stand." Feritzia shook the unpleasant memories out of her head. "But that doesn't matter now! You're alive, and you're here, and…I can't tell you how happy I am!"

She reached out to hug Jerel again, but he just smiled and held her back gently. "I trust you got my gift?"

"You gave me Prism!" Feritzia brightened with understanding. "I didn't know where it came from, but I was still glad I got it. Why did you send it to me?"

"I thought it might come in handy. I had heard about a new member of the infamous Equine Cleanup and Control, and it only took a little investigation to find out it was you."

"Why didn't you come and see me right away?" Feritzia asked.

"All sorts of terrible reasons. You can imagine that I'm kept very busy here. Besides, I wanted to give you some time to recover before seeing you."

Feritzia's face fell slightly. "I didn't need time to recover…all I really wanted was to see you again."

"Well, I'm here now," Jerel reassured her. "I heard that your group was in town, and I thought I'd come up with a good excuse to meet with you. I really want to hear about what happened to you at the Silent Crisis."

Feritzia looked confused, and her gaze fell to the floor. "I don't want to think about that…all of it was just horrible. Besides, I didn't do anything except what you told me to do."

"I'm sure you didn't. But there's still a question as to what went wrong. It's important to me to know what happened so that it won't happen again." Jerel's voice sounded firm.

"Look, I just don't see why it matters anymore," Feritzia said, tossing her hair back. "It's not like there's going to be another Silent Crisis."

Jerel narrowed his eyes at Feritzia in a way that was both inquisitive and calm. "Certainly not now…now that your friends are becoming so startlingly successful in fighting the Lucifer Hawk."

Feritzia's eyes suddenly widened and she turned to Jerel, her face full of concern. Jerel just shook his head and patted her hand reassuringly. "You don't have to worry about that, Feri. You're the only one who knows, and I trust you with that knowledge. It would be better for everyone if we left things as they are…no need to cause an unnecessary panic."

Feritzia nodded, and entwined her fingers in Jerel's. "It's just…now that I found you again, I'm afraid something will happen. Something will happen to you…"

"I'm more concerned about something happening to you," Jerel responded. "It sounds like you had quite a scare at the fight the other day. Guess it was a good thing your teammates were there to help you out."

Feritzia's tone suddenly became sour. "Ugh, don't even get me started on the rest of ECC…none of them really appreciate me. It's such a pain being around them all the time!"

Jerel folded his hands in front and smiled with interest, apparently pleased that he had "gotten Feritzia started." "You don't like how things are going? Why?"

"Okay, first off, Adara has this total superiority complex and thinks she can just order anyone around when she doesn't even think about the fact that they may not have good shoes or didn't get breakfast that morning! And then she's all blaming me and saying I don't follow orders! And Maris! She's loud, rude, selfish, and worst of all she has no taste. She thinks she's all macho 'cause she catches lobsters and can breathe underwater and has a talking sword and he never talks to me, anyway. And I have to share a house with her! And of course Miakoda likes everyone except me, and she's always trying to give me this 'spiritual advice' that I never asked for. As if all this isn't bad enough, I can't tell any little white lies 'cause Amber's a truthsayer and she gets all huffy when I lie, and then when I tell her that her cooking stinks she gets all huffy about that too, and that's when I'm trying to tell the truth! And…" Feritzia stopped for a breath and a thought. "Calixta's nice to me, I guess. But she talks to herself sometimes, and she lives in a computer house that's really creepy."

"Seems like you needed to get that out of your system," Jerel said, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"I'm sorry. It's just…you're like the first person I've really wanted to talk to since I woke up. I needed to tell this to someone who cared." Feritzia sighed heavily. "Nobody at ECC seems to care. All they ever do is yell at me, and they always blame me when something goes wrong. I'm tired of always being the stupid little ice girl. I don't want to have to take care of myself or prove I'm a good fighter or whatever they want."

"And they shouldn't have to. They should accept you for who you are," Jerel said.

"I know! But no matter what I try and do, it never seems to be enough…"

"Well you know, I could try and do something about it," Jerel offered. "I am directly in charge of your division now; Mackenzie and her subordinates get their orders from me."

"Could you?" Feritzia's excitement returned. "Could you talk to them for me?"

Jerel nodded slowly. "I'd be happy to. Anything I can do to make your life easier would be my pleasure."

"Oh, thank you so much!" Feritzia bounced in her seat. "I know you'll be able to talk some sense into them! They'll finally be able to understand me if you explain things."

"I'm sure they will," Jerel pulled out a pocket calendar and began to flip through dates. "Perhaps this coming Friday over lunch? I'm sure you could ask them to come for a brief visit…after all, it'd only be fair since you had to come see me."

Feritzia nodded, and then felt confusion return again. "What about me? When can I see you again? I mean, I just finally found you, and…"

"There'll be plenty of time for that," Jerel reminded her. "Don't feel obliged to make up for lost time, Feri. I won't have our relationship spoiled…not after all we've been through."

"I totally understand," Feritzia said with only a little sincerity. "But you will talk to me again, right?"

"Of course."

Feritzia stood up. "I can't wait! You have to call me soon, Jerel…and tell me how things go with ECC!"

"Oh, and also Feri…" Jerel gave Feritzia a rather serious look. "I'd like you to call me Peter Melcastle when we're around other people from now on. Jerel is more of a private name for me. You understand?"

"Yes, of course I understand," Feritzia replied, confusion at the request and frustration with his condescension edging her words.

Jerel stood as well. "I bet you're glad you're not in as much trouble as you thought."

"More than you can know!" Feritzia said. She followed Jerel to the door, and he opened it for her. She turned emotion-filled aqua eyes up to his unnaturally bright turquoise ones and held his gaze for a moment. "See you soon, Jerel."

"Melcastle."

"Yeah. Melcastle."

Feritzia stepped outside the office, and the door closed heavily behind her. She strode down the hallway as if walking on air, her mind filled with all sorts of pleasant memories of her and Jerel together. But as soon as she was outside and felt the hot summer air on her face, the thoughts seemed to fade, and she realized what they really were…just memories.

(Why was he acting that way?) Feritzia couldn't help but wonder. (We've been apart almost 30 years, and yet he seemed so cold and distant. During the time I was frozen…how much did he change?)

(But that doesn't make any sense! If he really stopped caring about me, why would he see me now? Why would he act like he still cared?)

Feritzia decided not to think about it. She was too happy with Jerel's return to disillusion herself with thoughts of lost affection. At least, she was fairly certain she was too happy.

Jerel kept the smile on his face until Feritzia's footsteps disappeared down the hall…then the smile disappeared as well. He turned his turquoise eyes on Erika, who sat at the opposite end of the room with an attentive glare. "Well human, I have done what you asked…you'll get that exclusive meeting with your daughter and time to release any aggressions you want on her and her little friends."

"And you have back your long-coveted Feritzia Ricci," Erika sneered. "Although she's not quite the compliant little bitch you made her out to be."

"At least not when it comes to information on the Silent Crisis," Jerel growled. "Which, ironically, is what I need the most. What she believes our relationship to be is of no importance…as long as she sees me as trustworthy."

"Well, I'm glad that we've finally reached an agreement on this matter," Erika said, stretching her hands forward and cracking her knuckles loudly.

Jerel gritted his teeth. "You can leave now."

Erika narrowed her eyes and sat up curtly. She strode toward the door and exited, leaving Jerel with a bitter, ashy scent in his nostrils. He scowled, and had to remind himself several times why he shouldn't bite this woman in two.

"An impressive act, even if it didn't yield the results you were hoping for," a new, sultry voice spoke from out of thin air. Jerel froze as the apparition of a long-haired human solidified in front of him…Ganossa Maximillian.

Jerel assumed his Lucifer Hawk form, hoping it would help cover up his initial surprise. "You're back here already," he growled at his superior.

"Only for a brief while," Ganossa said. "But long enough to investigate into your supposed progress."

"Progress enough, I believe," Jerel sneered. "Things have been going according to plan. I don't see the need for you to return here and berate me when I'm sure you have more important matters to attend to."

"I am taking care of the Key at this moment," Ganossa turned his gaze away from Jerel. "But as you know, I have many…'projects' to oversee. Which is why I've put you in charge of the ECC. What I want to know is why you've been having so many difficulties."

"We've taken care of things," Jerel said shortly.

"Such as these new members?" Ganossa questioned. "I know your reasoning behind Feritzia Ricci. But Amber Ramirez and Maris Lynn…one is a truthsayer and the other wields a sword with a will. Both are highly dangerous."

"A threat is best hidden between two allies. Besides, it would have been very suspicious if I approved Feritzia's admission and not theirs," Jerel explained. "And in most cases, I was informed after the fact."

"Speaking of being informed, I had hoped that you would have better control over the ECC leader, Mackenzie Jameson," Ganossa said bitterly. "Power over her is vital to controlling ECC. Yet you are allowing nineteen years of planning to amount to very little indeed."

Jerel stiffened. "Marshall is in control of the situation."

"This Mannos do Kaus…" Ganossa continued. "Did you know about him? If you did, why didn't you take care of him? And if you didn't, how will you know if he has others with him?"

"As you've said, I have many things to attend to." Jerel shifted his massive bulk closer to Ganossa, hoping it would seem intimidating. "And sometimes it's difficult if I'm not certain what my superiors expect of me."

Ganossa faced Jerel again, and narrowed his eyes. "And just what are you insinuating?"

"A few months ago, a virus attacked ECC's computer system. It severely disabled their defense systems, and cost tens of thousands to repair. Worst of all, some of our own men entered the premises and were killed." Jerel glared harder at Ganossa. "And believe me…I know for a fact this was not the work of the Rebels…it was the doing of you or one of your other subordinates. Why wasn't I informed?"

Ganossa just smirked. "That was merely a test, and certainly nothing for you to be concerned about. Although you may think you have many things to attend to, believe me…I have more."

"The Key, of course."

"There is a very short window of opportunity," Ganossa said, his smile fading. "And as you well know, it is imperative that the mission be accomplished now, rather than in a few years' time."

"Since time is of the essence to you." Jerel smiled inwardly. As much as he had come to admire Ganossa Maximillian, he always took pleasure in seeing Ganossa's struggle with his curse.

"Time enough, progress enough…" Ganossa shook his head. "Mere illusions. And of little importance, as long as we are the ones that remain in control."

"I don't see that changing," Jerel said.

"In that case, I shall observe this supposed progress for myself." Ganossa took a step forward, then stopped. "Oh, and Jerel…if ECC hears from AMP, please make sure they're occupied. The last thing we need for our New York girls is influence from their Tokyo friends."

Before Jerel could answer, Ganossa disappeared once again. Jerel ground his teeth together with displeasure. "Whatever you say, Ganossa Maximillian," he muttered to the empty room.

Thousands of miles away, across broad country and endless ocean, Kiddy Phenil crouched behind a Toyota Crescent and cocked her graviton gun. She ventured around the side of the car and saw Katsumi, Lum Cheng, Yuki and Nami also stationed in various hiding places. A persistent hum above her head told her Lebia was still standing by in the Simurgh…just as they had all been for the last ten minutes.

Kiddy's patience was wearing thin…and considering her patience's normal thickness was equivalent to about four sheets of paper, she was fairly agitated. "Lebia, where's that damn Hawk!" Kiddy snarled into her communicator. "The longer we wait, the more likely it'll kill someone else!"

"Patience is a virtue, Kiddy," Lebia sighed, hoping to mask her own frustration. "I can't get any definite coordinates…"

"Cleanliness is also a virtue…I wanna get home and take a shower," Kiddy grumbled.

"Since when did you ever care about cleanliness!" Lum Cheng pointed out.

"Look who's talking, Ms. My-desk-resembles-a-toxic-landfill," Kiddy shot back, sticking her head out from behind the car to do so.

"They're here!" Yuki called out. As she spoke, a horde of bat-like Category Threes rained down from the tops of the buildings to their stakeout. Although not very intelligent, they moved with definite purpose.

"Reinforcements!" Kiddy yelled, downing three Hawks with her graviton gun. Lum Cheng stepped in with a fire spell from Jesso, and Nami's summoning of the griffin spirit finished off most of the Category Threes. The rest circled above them warily, as if awaiting further commands.

"Where's that Category Two gone?" Katsumi asked no one in particular. She couldn't help but feel like all of these Threes were just a distraction…that the Hawk they were originally after was up to something else entirely. She held Grosspoliner firmly, and tried to keep her thoughts focused…but they kept drifting back to her son. (He's safe back at Headquarters,) she reminded herself. (It's much better for him to be with Rally and Mana than me right now…)

The Lucifer Hawk sense in her picked up on a similar presence directly behind Nami, and she and Yuki called out a warning at the same time. Nami dodged, barely missing the massive claws of the Category Two they'd been pursuing. The women of AMP formed a semicircle around the Hawk as it emerged from the wall.

"Gotcha now, you bastard!" Kiddy said confidently, aiming her firearm at the Hawk's head. "No way you're getting away from us!"

The Hawk laughed a throaty, unnerving laugh. "On the contrary, ignorant humans…it is you who will never escape."

"Brave words for dead meat," Kiddy scoffed, and fired at the enemy. The Hawk teleported behind them, but not before the shot grazed its shoulder. The women spun around to face the apparently unfazed Hawk.

"Kill me if you like…it will still be time enough for us to accomplish our mission," the Hawk said. "Time enough for us to finally obtain the Key."

"How many times do I have to tell you…I'm not coming with you!" Katsumi exclaimed. "I've sacrificed too much to give in to you now!" She held Grosspoliner upright in front of her, and closed her eyes to prepare a spell.

The Hawk's throaty laugh returned. "Is the famed Katsumi Liqueur so foolish? What makes you think that you are still the Key?"

Katsumi's eyes snapped open. Her breath stopped in her throat as she finally realized what all of this distraction was leading to.

"Roy!"

Without even thinking, Katsumi ran for the nearest exit from the back lot, ignoring her teammates' yelling. She collided with something hot, and was thrown to the ground. Katsumi looked up, and saw a crackle of electricity across the alleyway.

"There's some sort of electrical interference!" Lebia said over the communicator. "I can't get the Simurgh to respond!"

The Lucifer Hawk loomed above them menacingly, while the Category Threes continued to circle overhead. "Just as you trap us within your damned barriers, so we have devised a barrier for you. And you would be wrong to think that killing me will destroy this barrier, for it is not controlled by me." The Hawk sneered. "I hope you feel your efforts are worthwhile…it's the most you can hope for."

Robert Gigelf Liqueur was busy destroying the world. Already the post office and the elementary school had met their doom…and the fire station was next. "Oh no! Can nuffeen stop this monster!" Roy narrated the story as he shuffled the fleeing Lego townspeople away from the toy Godzilla which was busily stomping all over his playset.

Mana watched Roy warily from the couch, then glanced back at Rally, who was seated at her command desk. Mana sensed the same thing Rally did…that something wasn't right with the other women.

"Lebia, report," Rally said into the communicator. "I can't make out your position. What's happened?" The only reply Rally received was static. Her eyes widened, and she scanned Dewey II for any information on her team. No response.

"What's going on?" Mana stood and faced Rally. She stopped as she noticed Rally's attention focused elsewhere…on a hairpin crack that was growing across the broad window pane in front of Roy.

"Rooaaar! There goes the police station!" Roy cried, scattering his toys across the floor.

Mana leapt from her desk, grabbed the startled Roy and rolled out of the way just before the window shattered inwards. When she looked up again, a ridiculously huge Lucifer Hawk stood before them, and instantly she knew it was a Category One.

"I am sick and tired of replacing these windows!" Rally yelled, striding from her desk towards Roy and Mana. She wasn't going to waste time trying to figure out why a Lucifer Hawk had invaded their office. It obviously wanted a fight, and she was ready to fight back.

"I am here for the Key to Nemesis," the Hawk said flatly. "Stand aside."

Both women shot a look at one another, simultaneously finding the last piece to a horrifying puzzle. The Hawks were no longer after the competent and powerful Katsumi Liqueur: they were after her 4-year-old son. Mana placed the frightened Roy on his feet and told him, "Roy, run for the safe room we told you about! Don't stop and look back, just run! We'll come get you!"

"But I…"

"Run, Roy!"

Roy nodded, eyes wide, and ran for the office door. He was almost at the exit when the Lucifer Hawk extended its arm towards him, stopping the boy in his tracks. Mana immediately placed her fingers together, muttered a quick prayer, and cast the incantation onto the Lucifer Hawk. Pieces of its flesh were torn off by the attack…then immediately grew back. The Hawk didn't even register Mana, but instead clenched its raised fist. Roy snapped up as if being gripped by invisible fingers, and was dragged back towards the Hawk.

"No!" Mana cried out, and cast her spell on the Hawk again, this time with more force. The enemy flinched somewhat, but otherwise ignored her. Roy cried out in terror as he was pulled into the Hawk's waiting claws.

"Enough of this! Katsumi's son will not be taken by the likes of you!" Rally declared, standing defiantly before the Lucifer Hawk. The red mark on her forehead began to glow, and the Hawk sensed that this human had a power similar to its own. It raised its other hand, and Rally suddenly flew across the office and into the opposite wall. She fell to the floor with a groan.

"Ganossa told me to expect resistance from you," the Hawk droned. "But I had expected more than this."

Rally picked herself up, and glared dangerously at the Hawk. "Then Ganossa has underestimated us once again."

The glare seemed to take form as a wave of energy spread from Rally's forehead, hitting the Hawk dead-on. The force of the impact caused the remaining windows to splinter. The Hawk was visibly affected, as it took a step backwards and roared in pain. More pieces of its body disintegrated, and this time didn't reappear. The Hawk stared back at Rally with rage. "Foolish half-breed! If you try anything else, the child will pay for it!" It squeezed its prey, and Roy only managed a whimper.

Rally saw Roy's face, and hesitated. The Hawk's image began to fade, and the women realized it was preparing to teleport. Mana immediately placed her fingers in a new position, and summoned a shield around the Hawk. The shield seemed to slow its escape, but it was still trying to get away. Roy was now screaming.

His desperate cries for help were closely followed by an explosion of sound…Rally and Mana yelling, the Hawk roaring with frustration, and then the sound of engines humming. Rally and Mana looked up from their various attacks, and saw the Simurgh hovering close to the broken window.

"Wait!" Mana cried out.

Flashes of light emitted from the ship's hull, and the Hawk was suddenly bombarded with a dozen missiles. At the same time, Rally released a massive psychic attack, and she felt as if all her joints were being torn apart from the effort. The Lucifer Hawk doubled over with pain and let out a final roar of hatred before its entire form disintegrated within a ball of light. But Rally and Mana weren't concerned about that…they were listening for the little boy that the Hawk had been gripping.

When the light disappeared, they saw Roy lying on the glass-strewn office floor. The edges of his clothes and hair appeared scorched, and he wasn't moving.

"Oh no…"

Mana ran forward and scooped up Roy. For a brief moment of absolute terror, there was no movement…then Roy blinked, and looked up at Mana with water in his eyes. "I…I want my mommy…"

Mana didn't say anything, but just held Roy to her chest, thanking anything and everything that he was still alive. How he could have survived the combined energy from the Lucifer Hawk, Rally, her and the Simurgh was beyond comprehension, and she didn't want to dwell on it now. Behind her, Rally collapsed on her knees, overcome with the exhaustion of her efforts.

"Chief, what's happened?" Lebia's anxious voice sounded from the communications console. "I just got here…there was an electrical barrier, but Yuki was able to counter it enough for me to get out."

"Leave the Category Two…tell the rest of them to get over here," Rally said between gasps for breath.

Twenty minutes later, the Simurgh returned once again to headquarters, this time with the rest of AMP. The moment the Category One was destroyed, the barrier had finally fallen, and the women were able to defeat the Category Two and its minions. The victory didn't make anyone happy, however…certainly not Katsumi. She rushed immediately from the transport to her son, who was waiting in Mana's arms.

Roy buried his face in Katsumi's chest, sobbing. He had spent the last few months putting on his brave face, trying to show his mommy he wasn't afraid of these monsters. But now he was genuinely frightened, and all he wanted was the comfort of his mother's arms around him.

Katsumi was not so fortunate…she didn't have anyone to calm her fears. (It's finally happened…) she realized through her own tears. (What I've been dreading for the entire last half year. Nemesis came after my son, and I wasn't able to save him. If Rally and Isozaki hadn't been here…) The rest of her thoughts disappeared in a blur of turmoil. All of this fear, this anxiety, this pressure…she couldn't take it anymore.

Katsumi looked towards Rally, who was still attempting to recover. "Chief…we need to talk."

Rally and Katsumi sat across from each other in Rally's private office, which thankfully hadn't been hurt by the attack. A day's worth of rest had not helped either of them much…and now things were even more serious.

"Katsumi…" Rally sighed, and rubbed her forehead. "I understand that you're very upset about what happened yesterday. But I'm not at all confident about this plan. There are far too many risks involved, not just for us, but for the rest of the planet."

"I understand, Chief." Katsumi looked intently at her superior. "But at this point, I feel we need to. I just…I can't stand this anymore. We've got to do something that'll stop the Hawks once and for all."

Rally didn't respond, but just nodded in understanding. She picked up the phone, and dialled for the one friendly contact they had on the other side of the world.

"Mackenzie Jameson?" Rally asked as soon as the other line picked up.

"This is she," Mackenzie answered.

"This is Rally Cheyenne in Tokyo. I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time…"

"Not much can be done about that," Mackenzie sighed. "I've got another meeting with the naval committee in an hour and half. What's the matter?"

"Just yesterday we experienced a very serious Lucifer Hawk attack…we're certain Ganossa was directly behind it. We were wondering if we could request your team to come visit us in Tokyo."

There was a brief pause. "So is the famed AMP actually asking for ECC's help in fighting Lucifer Hawks?"

"We do need your help, but not with Hawk-fighting. Katsumi has suggested that we take action to purge the Lucifer Hawks from Earth forever…sealing the Gates to Nemesis. For that we'll definitely need your help."

"Sealing the…" Mackenzie stopped short. Rally could feel the other woman's uncertainty from across the globe. "How certain are you about this?"

"As certain as you are," Rally responded. "The only thing we know for sure is that we can't do it alone."

There was a very long pause. Katsumi didn't realize that she was holding her breath until right before Mackenzie answered. "I'm really sorry to say this, Rally…but I don't think my team can make it out there now. You have to understand, we've been swamped with attacks as well, and we're going through a difficult time with team cooperation. ECC is undergoing evaluation by the Chief of Naval Operations, and unfortunately it's not something we can jump up and leave in the middle of."

"I understand," Rally said, closing her eyes. "This is a stressful time for all of us."

"I know this is important to you, and I believe it's about time AMP and ECC met again, anyway. We just can't manage it now. However, I'll definitely call you when our next opportunity comes up."

"Thank you, Jameson," Rally finished. "We'll be waiting to hear from you."

Katsumi looked at Rally anxiously as she hung up. "They can't make it? What are we supposed to do about the Gate?"

"There's not much we can do without the ECC," Rally stated simply. "We'll just have to hold out and wait."

Katsumi cringed…the image of her injured and crying son kept returning to her. "But will we have time?"

"We'll have enough."

"So who are we all getting dressed up for, exactly?" Maris asked incredulously, fiddling with the collar of her white dress uniform.

"The Chief of Naval Operations, Peter Melcastle. And he's a very nice man who's helped us out a lot, so you better be civil to him." Feritzia directed her last comment at Maris. Her voice practically radiated confidence and pride.

"Man, don't know why you're so happy…" Maris rolled her eyes.

The rest of the ECC complained less as they attempted to groom themselves around the same tiny hotel mirror. However, they all secretly agreed with Maris's observation…they had never seen Feritzia this excited.

"Feritzia, are you sure Chief Mackenzie is okay with this?" Miakoda asked. "We haven't heard from her at all since your appointment on Tuesday."

Feritzia glanced up from doing her hair, apparently rather distracted. "Hmm? Oh, I'm sure he's told Mackenzie. Don't worry about it."

Miakoda didn't respond. Calixta waited until Feritzia was out of hearing range, then leaned over to Miakoda. "It's obvious you're still worried. Would you care to share with the rest of the class?"

"It's just…I'm not certain about this at all," Miakoda said. "Pardon the cliché, but I'm getting a very bad feeling about this. Ever since Feritzia came back from her meeting she's been unusually happy. Not that I'm against some happiness for Feritzia, but I'd figure a confrontation with the CNO would produce the opposite effect, especially considering her performance in the last battle."

Amber fingered her pink crystal necklace. "The thing is, I'm almost certain Feritzia isn't lying. She is genuinely happy, and yet…"

"…Not quite," Calixta finished. "I think we're all getting mixed readings. The best we can do at this point is be prepared."

Maris apparently took the advice to heart. She finished messing up her tight military collar, then attempted to stuff her Evian in her inner coat pocket. Feritzia looked on with alarm. "You are not going to bring Nauticus with you, are you? You won't need him!"

"Nauticus? What Nauticus? It's just a water bottle." Maris smirked.

Feritzia gave her a withering glare.

"Besides, I don't care if I'll need him," Maris said firmly. "I feel a lot better this way, so suck up and deal."

Feritzia groaned, and decided she didn't have the drive to fight with Maris today. Just then, the hotel phone rang. Adara, who had been watching the other girls converse, picked it up. A moment later, she hung up with only a quick "I will, hold on."

Adara turned back to the ECC with a serious look. "That was the Chief…we've got trouble. Some kind of weird incident at the south end of town. Not sure on the details, but we need to report."

Feritzia's face fell. "But…what about the meeting? We can't just suddenly cancel, it's extremely rude!"

Adara wanted to answer with a sarcastic "It's also extremely rude not to try and save peoples' lives," but she was not in the mood to argue, either. "Fine, whatever. Feritzia, Calixta, you come with me and we'll check it out. The rest of you can go meet with the CNO."

"Why the hell don't I get to fight!" Maris complained.

"Why do I have to go fight? I want to go meet with Peter Melcastle!" Feritzia complained even louder.

Adara was about fed up with this. "Ensign Lynn, I order you to go to this meeting and relax. Ensign Ricci, I order you to calm down. I'm sure the CNO will understand if only three people show up…after all, we're only doing our job. And as for you, you've already had your meeting with him, so it'd make sense for you to come with Calixta and me." Even as she said it, she briefly wondered if Admiral Melcastle actually would understand.

"But I…" Feritzia started to argue again, but finally dropped it at a look from Adara. She firmly planted a characteristic pout on her face, which did not appear as though it would leave anytime soon.

"Right," Adara said decisively. "Let's move out."

Half an hour later, Maris, Amber and Miakoda found themselves seated at a dimly-lit Greek restaurant, watching the booth across from them remain mysteriously empty. Maris fumed, and screwed and unscrewed her Evian bottle cap. "Huh, I wonder what Feri'd have to say about this. She gets all fussy about only three of us meeting for lunch, and this asshole boss of ours doesn't even bother to show up."

"Keep it down a little," Miakoda warned, wincing at Maris's unnecessarily loud comment. "I'll admit, this is really unusual for a naval officer, but we don't need to broadcast the fact."

"No one here knows we're in the Navy," Maris retorted.

"Ahem…" Amber cleared her throat at Maris, then pointed to their very obvious Navy dress uniforms. Maris sighed, and kept fiddling with her water bottle.

Miakoda looked up as a new woman entered the restaurant…auburn hair, icy eyes, and a well-tailored suit. She noticed the three ECC members, and instantly headed in their direction. "Erika's here," Miakoda said, surprised.

"Who?" Maris asked.

"Adara's mother," Miakoda answered under her breath. Maris also looked surprised, but not very pleased.

Erika seated herself in the opposite booth with a large yet unconvincing smile plastered on her face. "Good, I found you all here! Or three of you, anyway…" Her smile faded somewhat. "It seems Adara couldn't make it."

Maris instantly decided she didn't like this woman. "She's busy doing her job."

"You must be Maris Lynn," Erika said. "Terribly sorry I haven't had the chance to meet you before. And Amber Ramirez…I do remember seeing you, but I haven't had the opportunity to talk with you yet. I'm glad to finally meet you both." Amber nodded, but couldn't help but feel her crystal necklace briefly.

"I'm sorry, but…I'm just surprised to see you here," Miakoda said. "Are you in direct contact with Peter Melcastle? I know you said you worked with the military, but I didn't know it was for our superior officer."

"Just something I neglected to mention," Erika said with a small, shrill laugh. "The whole naval chain of command is easy to get lost in. I'm actually Admiral Melcastle's secretary."

"Huh," Amber responded. "So where is Admiral Melcastle himself? Feritzia said we would meet with him."

"I'm afraid he had to attend to another matter that came up unexpectedly," Erika said, making it clear that she wasn't going to share the details. "He asked me to come and meet you in his place."

"That's very considerate of you, although without Admiral Melcastle here, the appointment is moot." Miakoda sighed. She could feel the frustration coming off her companions in waves, especially since their colleagues were heading into an unknown confrontation without them. The fact that it was once again the result of bureaucratic misunderstanding didn't help the fact.

"Well, we won't let this time go completely to waste," Erika said decisively. She signalled to the nearest waiter. "Excuse me! Three gins and a vodka over here, please."

Amber and Miakoda started to object to the gin, but were too late. Miakoda looked longingly at Maris's Evian, and Maris gave her a short but pointed glare. "So tell me about yourselves," Erika turned back to them. "Adara is stingy in talking about her friends…she takes the whole military secrecy thing so seriously."

When nobody said anything, Amber decided she might as well be the polite one. "I joined ECC just about six months ago, after being a reporter for the New York Sentinel. I'm a truthsayer." She expected some sort of reaction out of Erika for the truthsayer comment, but Erika didn't seem fazed.

Erika nodded. "That's very interesting. I've gotten to talk with you a bit…Miakoda, was it? Just so you know, I really appreciate your attempts to get Adara to reconcile with me. It means a lot to me."

"Yes. I'm sorry she couldn't make it," Miakoda said.

"Oh, don't worry about it…I'm sure I'll be seeing her again soon." Erika's plastic smile returned. Just then, the waiter delivered their gin and vodka. Maris immediately gulped down one of the gins, figuring she was going to need it. Erika, Miakoda and Amber didn't touch their drinks.

"Just out of curiosity, why are you so eager to get friendly with Adara again, anyway?" Maris asked.

"Oh that's right, you weren't there when I explained before." Erika waved her hand at Maris. "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but now I realize what I should have done all along. It's time I showed Adara how I really feel about her and our relationship."

Amber's eyebrows furrowed. Erika wasn't lying, and yet…there was something in her tone of voice…

"But this is for Adara and I to discuss, of course." Erika dropped the subject hard. "You must be wondering why Admiral Melcastle wanted to meet you in the first place."

"Damn straight," Maris said none-too-pleasantly.

"Well, you all know your team is undergoing evaluation now," Erika said. "I know; all the paperwork has to go through me. Anyways, Admiral Melcastle met with Feritzia to discuss her conduct in battle. He thought it was only fair that he was able to personally meet with the rest of ECC as well."

Miakoda decided not to point out that they already knew all that. "Yes, but what did Admiral Melcastle discuss with Feritzia? She doesn't seem to have been reprimanded. Which," Miakoda coughed slightly, "I'll be honest, is what we expected."

"Ah…Ms. Ricci and Admiral Melcastle have an understanding between them, at least from what I've heard." Erika tapped her long fingernails together.

None of the three ECC girls said anything, buy what they were thinking was plainly written on their faces. Amber's throat suddenly became very dry, but the gin in front of her still didn't look very appealing. Her eyes strayed to the Evian in front of Maris. "Hey, um, Maris…can I have a sip of your water?"

Maris gave Amber a look of horror. "You want to drink my sword!"

"Just a little bit! Besides, it doesn't matter if the bottle is full, does it?"

"Ugh…fine, whatever." Maris scooted the Evian over. "Just don't get any spit in it."

"Thanks Maris." Amber ignored the last comment and took a few grateful sips of the Evian. She was so used to seeing Nauticus come out of the bottle that she half expected there to be some complaint from it.

"I'm fascinated by your water sword! Could I see how it works?" Erika suddenly leaned forward, and grabbed the Evian as Amber started to set it down. In the process she fumbled with the bottle, and its contents spilled all over the table.

"Shit!" Maris yelled, standing up as the water dripped all over the floor. "You spilled him!"

"Oh, I am SO sorry!" Erika apologized vehemently, trying to soak up the spill with napkins. "I really am! Ugh, what a terrible mess…"

"Hey, it's partially my fault." Amber also stood. "I'll refill the bottle for you."

"Oh no, allow me." Erika snatched up the Evian before Amber could reach it. "This is entirely my fault. I'll fill this up right away." She disappeared in the direction of the bathroom.

Miakoda sighed as she grabbed some more napkins from a neighboring table. "That was odd."

Maris groaned, and looked down to realize part of her dress uniform was also soaked. Her thoughts were a little less friendly. "Clumsy bitch."

Erika headed into the women's bathroom, and made sure that no one else was sharing her company. She drained out any remaining water from the Evian bottle into the sink, then unscrewed the cap on a bottle of vodka. She pursed her lips into a smirk as she carefully emptied the clear vodka into the Evian bottle.

Adara, Calixta and Feritzia all noticed Mackenzie standing outside their rendezvous point as the spinner came to an abrupt halt. She looked very agitated, but Adara couldn't tell whether it was from the fact that only three of them were there, or something else entirely. Mackenzie came to meet them as Adara exited the spinner, followed closely by her two teammates.

"Were we too late?" Adara asked worriedly.

Mackenzie shook her head, irritated. "Far from it…it was a false alarm. Some stupid kids playing a prank."

Adara sighed…she could practically feel Feritzia's outburst starting up. "Well, at least it was just that."

"That's not what's bothering me…" Mackenzie responded. "It's the fact that somebody like Admiral Melcastle could mistake a kid's prank for a Lucifer Hawk attack. After all these years of supposedly competent service, you'd think he'd have more sense than this."

Feritzia looked concerned. "How would he know about something like that?"

"He got a call from Marshall," Mackenzie explained. "He told me about it personally…I spoke with him not half an hour ago."

"But that can't be right!" Feritzia shook her head and looked at the ground. "He can't be here. He's supposed to be meeting the other three girls for lunch."

Mackenzie looked directly at Feritzia. "What?"

"He promised me that he was going to talk with all other ECC members personally," Feritzia explained, suddenly not liking Mackenzie's response. "He also said that he would let you know about it."

"I've heard nothing of the sort, and I just spoke with Admiral Melcastle," Mackenzie stated. Adara and Calixta looked at Feritzia with identical accusing glares.

Feritzia didn't even notice, but seemed to look past everyone to a situation she didn't understand. "He promised he'd get this all sorted out…"

Mackenzie's face set. "I think I'm about through trusting Admiral Melcastle on this. I'll go talk to him and find out exactly what's going on. You three try and find the others." She turned on her heel and left without so much as a farewell salute.

"Feritzia…" Adara began. Feritzia cringed at the tone in her voice. "I know full well that you don't respect my authority, and that you've given me stupid excuses for your behavior in the past. But this…what makes you think you can supersede Commander Mackenzie?" Her voice rose. "What possible selfish reason could you have for lying to us about what your superior officers have said?"

Feritzia sucked in her breath. "First off, I did not lie to anyone," she responded with defiance, although her voice cracked. "I had no intention of lying to anyone. I was just trying to do something right for once! Melcastle promised me he'd have everything arranged!"

Calixta suddenly wished that Amber was available to verify all this. Things just weren't adding up, and Calixta was beginning to suspect who exactly was to blame. "Feritzia, the point is that you've given us false information without consulting our superior officer to verify it. This time it was just a prank, but next time the consequences could be a lot more serious."

"Doesn't Admiral Melcastle outrank Mackenzie?" Feritzia asked. "He'd be our real superior officer, right?"

Somehow, Calixta was disturbed by this thought. "I'm not talking about just rank and file, here. I mean a superior officer that we trust. Just because someone is a higher rank doesn't mean they're more honest, or correct."

"I do understand that. And I trust Melcastle. I trust him more than…" Feritzia trailed off, turning over the words she just said in her mind.

Adara and Calixta's surprise was obvious. "You trust him more than Mackenzie or any of us?" The hurt was evident in Calixta's voice. "You hardly know him! I mean, the first time you've seen him was this last meeting." When Feritzia averted her gaze, Calixta began to wonder. "Or was it?"

"Just…you guys don't understand!" Feritzia took a few steps away from them, her aquamarine eyes heavy with emotion and fear.

"You've met Melcastle before, haven't you?" Adara approached Feritzia cautiously. "What exactly is your relationship with him?"

"I…I don't know anymore," Feritzia confessed. "I knew him a long time ago, before things went bad everywhere. He was kind to me. He and I were…"

"Oh man…" Adara sighed, and put a hand to her forehead. Her hands were getting warm, but it seemed more from anxiety than anything else. "Feritzia, why didn't you tell us this earlier?"

"Because I didn't know he was the CNO!" Feritzia whirled back on Adara. "I didn't even know he was alive! And since when is it my business to tell you everything about my life, anyway? I don't expect you to give me all the gory details about you and Richard! Melcastle is the one person I've recognized since you all woke me up; the one familiar face…"

Adara tried to think of an appropriate reprimand, until she realized that there was none. For once, Feritzia was right. Assuming she had known Melcastle before she met them, and especially if they had a deeper relationship, she would of course trust him over the ECC. The thought struck Adara hard, and she found herself disturbed by it. (After all we've done these past weeks…working so hard to get Feritzia to work with the group…this is the best we can come up with? We've fought Lucifer Hawks left and right since we found Feri, and we're still having trust issues?)

"But again, I don't expect you to understand," Feritzia sighed. "I know you guys have more important things to worry about than whether or not I'm happy."

"Feritzia…" The annoyance fell out of Adara's voice. "It's not like that at all. We just wanted you to feel like you could trust us. I know we fight; I know we bitch about our issues with each other…but if we can't learn to trust each other on a basic level, then the problem's not just yours, it's ours."

Feritzia stopped, and turned back around. "You're saying you don't think this is my fault?"

"I'm saying that all of us have screwed up at some point or another with this. Yes, this is partially your fault, but it's ours as well. We've been…" Adara looked at Feritzia and then at the ground, wondering if she had dropped the right words. "…a little insensitive to your situation, considering we don't know all the circumstances behind it."

Something about Adara's statement caused the worry lines in Feritzia's face to fade. It was something she had wanted to hear for a long time, and somehow felt much more genuine than what Jerel had said. "Listen, I'm…I'm sorry if all I've been is a problem for you guys. I never wanted all of this in the first place. All this time I've been angry because it just doesn't seem fair—waking up, losing the life I had. Things haven't gone well for me at all. I know you must think that I deserve what has happened to me, and maybe I do. And I know I said that I didn't care what you thought about me. But now…I think I do care. Maybe I always have."

Calixta blinked. She looked from Feritzia to Adara, then back to Feritzia, then Adara again. It took her a moment to process what had just occurred, and she suddenly felt honored to witness such a miraculous event. "Did you two just…reconcile?" she asked with one raised eyebrow.

"Okay, Adara still has issues," Feritzia said in her normal, haughty tone. "And don't think I'm going to be Little Miss Happy-Perky-Team-Member-Feritzia. I'm just saying that I agree with Adara that we've both screwed up. She's just screwed up more than I have."

Adara twitched a little at the comment, but decided to take her victories where she could get them. "Er…something to that effect. We'll work on it later."

"Who would've thought that group therapy session would actually do some good?" Calixta said.

Adara snorted sarcastically. "If by good, you mean we've now sent that poor therapist to an early death by lung cancer, then yes."

Feritzia suddenly looked worried as the reality of the situation came back to her. "Oh no…if Melcastle wasn't there…Maris is going to kill me, isn't she?"

"Yes," Calixta said. "Tragic, really. Just when we were all becoming such good friends."

Mackenzie strode briskly up to the front desk of the naval branch office, her boots clacking loudly on the polished floor, getting more and more agitated with every step. "I need to speak to Admiral Peter Melcastle," she demanded.

"I'm afraid Admiral Melcastle is busy for the moment," the secretary said without even glancing up.

"He's not busy enough," Mackenzie said, doing her best to keep the venom out of her voice. "I spoke with him not half an hour ago."

"I'm sorry, but—"

"James!" a new voice interrupted the secretary, and Mackenzie looked up to see Damien Marshall walking towards her. She relaxed somewhat, and Marshall led her away from the desk a few steps. "Jameson, I'm terribly sorry about the whole mix-up with the prank…it was our mistake entirely."

"I know that," Mackenzie said. "I still need to talk to Admiral Melcastle. There's been some kind of misunderstanding among my subordinates, and I need him to clear it up for me."

Marshall hesitated before answering. "Admiral Melcastle is occupied right now…you'll have to try again later."

Mackenzie stared at Marshall, surprised. She had expected this kind of bureaucratic behavior from other aides, but not Marshall. "Honestly, Damien, it won't take that long. If he is in a meeting, it'll be early enough for me to interrupt. I just need this favor from you."

Marshall just shook his head. "Sorry to deny you on this one, James, but I really can't. The last thing I should be doing right now is ruining the reputation of Admiral Melcastle and myself."

"Ruining the…what are you talking about?" Mackenzie's mind raced at Marshall's tone; at the cold glint in his eyes. "This is nothing compared to other things I've asked you to do in the past! Why are you so uptight now? Ever since Admiral Melcastle entered the picture, you've been very distant from me. I don't understand what's happened to you."

"Frankly, Mackenzie, I don't know what to say…" Marshall's gaze remained disconnected. "What I'm asking is not unreasonable, either. Your subordinates are in no immediate danger. I am sorry for the misunderstanding, but there's nothing I can do about it right now."

"You mean you don't want to do anything about it right now." Mackenzie glared back. "Just like you don't want to tell me things that happened to me before the accident."

"You are a very competent, intelligent woman, Mackenzie Jameson." Marshall shifted his weight away from her. "But there are still a few things you need to learn."

Mackenzie narrowed her eyes and also drew away. For the first time in years, the man in front of her looked like a stranger. All those years she had spent trusting Damien suddenly felt empty and meaningless. Mackenzie felt it in the pit of her stomach…it was a horrible feeling.

"Excuse me, but I think I've wasted enough of my time here," Mackenzie said through clenched teeth. She turned and headed back for the door, too upset to even bid Marshall farewell. She could feel him looking into her back as she walked away, and she knew it wasn't an approving gaze.

(None of this makes sense…) she thought, feeling the early stages of a headache building up behind her eyes. (First Peter Melcastle, then Feritzia, then these Lucifer Hawk attacks, now this…why don't any of these things fit together? Why can't I seem to understand anyone's motivation?)

She breathed a hard sigh as she exited the branch office. Damien Marshall was no longer as trustworthy as he had once seemed. But who else was there to turn to? (There is no one else…you're going to have to take your own advice on this one, Mackenzie.)

She remembered the phone call she had gotten from Rally a few days back, and how desperate Rally had sounded. Perhaps it was time to get back in touch with AMP after all.

"Well, I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the three of you better," Erika said with something resembling pleasantness. Miakoda, Maris and Amber all relaxed simultaneously, figuring this meant Erika would finally leave them. However, their hopes were dashed by her next statement. "But before we part ways, I'd like to ask a big favor of you."

"What, exactly?" Miakoda said before Maris could protest.

"Like I said, I've had to sift through your paperwork, and I've kept encountering a problem with some peoples' records of non-planar offensive measures." Maris and Miakoda cringed at the overly bureaucratic terms. "I've got my superiors breathing down my neck about it. Could you perhaps look over things for me; make sure my assumptions are correct?"

"If you think it would help…" Miakoda once again answered for the group. This time, both Maris and Amber looked upset.

"Thank you very much! I hate asking you to take time out, but this would help me a lot." She stood. "Everything's over at my apartment, which is just a short drive from here. I'll go and get my car…be back in a sec."

As soon as Erika was back out of the restaurant, Maris turned to glare at Miakoda. "What'd you do that for! I'm sick enough of this wasted lunch; I don't want to go redo my fucking paperwork with Ms. Prissy out there!"

"Because if there's one thing I've learned from political activism, it's that you always go out of your way to make a good impression on the middleman. They're the ones who'll tell their impressions to their superior officer…in this case also our superior officer," Miakoda explained. "Besides, we really have no reason to distrust her."

"Yes, we do." Amber's voice was cold. "The entire time she's been giving me mixed readings, but that last request was definitely a lie."

"See? Why would she lie like that?" Maris asked.

Miakoda was obviously disturbed by this thought. But somehow, she couldn't help hoping that Amber was wrong. If Erika had lied to them now, what could she have said to Adara, right when Adara was ready to forgive her? "I still don't see any reason for refusing her. Even if something were to go wrong, we can defend ourselves, or call the others for backup. You don't think three of us can take on one woman?"

This statement seemed to settle Maris and Amber somewhat, but not much. Just then, Erika re-entered the restaurant and motioned for them to follow.

They passed the drive to Erika's apartment in silence, although an unnamed tension still hung thick in the air, and seemed to make the atmosphere around them uncomfortably warmer. The ride there took longer than most of them expected, and the apartment itself appeared run-down and isolated…certainly not anything that would belong to the secretary of the Chief of Operations. The more Miakoda saw, the more on her guard she subconsciously became.

"Sorry for the mess…I think the building's undergoing repairs," Erika chirped as they entered the apartment complex. A quick but confusing path of corridors soon led them to what appeared to be a sparsely-furnished office space. The desk and floor were littered with poorly-organized paperwork.

"Undergoing repairs for what?" Maris asked, unconvinced.

"Oh, I don't know…" Erika's voice suddenly became sharp and cold, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Something about a fire hazard."

Amber yelped and jumped out of the way as the stack of papers on the desk next to her suddenly caught fire. Then another stack, then another, until all of their supposed paperwork was going up in flames. The fire caught to the walls unnaturally fast, causing the wallpaper to blister and peel and sending choking ash into the air.

"What the hell…" Maris turned back to Erika, and she, Miakoda and Amber all noticed the drastic change. Erika was grinning psychotically, paying no attention to the growing fires around her. Her own hands were wreathed in sparking flames, and she laughed as the flames jumped from her hand to the floor.

"Have you ever seen Adara do something like this!" Erika's shrill voice rang out above the moan of splintering wood and concrete. "Burn down a building in a matter of minutes? Of course not, because she's the perfect daddy's girl, the star attraction, the leader of the pack, the master of fire! Well, she's not going to be outshining her decrepit old mother anymore."

"What do you think you're—" Amber cried out, but her words were cut short as she coughed on inhaled smoke.

"I'm doing what I've wanted to all along…showing up my little bitch of a daughter," Erika said, letting the flames in her hand trace their way up her arms and across her shoulders. "Nemesis has rewarded me handsomely for my loyalty. I'm twice the fire elemental Adara will ever be…and it's time I let her know it."

Erika reached her hand forward and shot a column of flame at the ECC members. They dropped to the floor just before it hit, and the attack hit the opposite wall and shattered the small office window. All of the choking smoke and heat suddenly rushed for the exit, causing a back draft and a larger explosion.

"Ah, well…" Erika licked her lips and sneered. "It would've been a shame if you suffocated before being burned alive."

"Fuck you!" Maris yelled, and attempted to stand again, her blue eyes blazing with fury. "Cut the crap and get us out of here!"

"No…I think I'd rather be honest when I tell Adara three of her friends are dead." Erika snickered. "She's wanted me to be honest all along…might as well start now."

"No…" Miakoda gasped, feeling her throat choke up with more than just smoke. (I should have trusted my instincts; I should've listened to Maris and Amber…) Miakoda's guilt quickly turned to anger as she realized that Erika was doing this only to get back at Adara. "You can't do this!" she called out, but her words were swallowed by the heat.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm afraid I must attend to a little…family reunion." Erika turned and walked back through the roaring flames without so much as a blink. As she left, she raised her hand across the doorway, spreading a ring of fire across their only escape. The doorway began to cave in on itself, sending splinters and bits of concrete everywhere.

"All right, I've had enough of this," Maris challenged their burning prison. She whipped out her water bottle and began to unscrew the cap. "Nauticus, come—"

"Look out!" Miakoda suddenly leapt forward and knocked the Evian out of Maris's hand, splashing a bit of liquid on both her and Maris.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!" Maris demanded. Miakoda just pointed to the water bottle, which was quivering fiercely on the floor. A spark from the fire caught to it, and its contents suddenly exploded, propelling a ball of fire at the three girls. They screamed and tried to avoid the explosion, but only with mild success.

When Maris looked down again, she cried out in pain…her entire left hand and part of her right were covered in reddish-black blotches from where the explosion had burned her. Miakoda clutched her own wrist, trying to stave off the pain from the burns and blisters she had also received. "Vodka…" Miakoda groaned. "She must have switched…"

"Shit!" Maris roared, her face twisted in pain from the burns. "She tricked us, that goddamn fucking BITCH!"

Amber rubbed the smoke and ash out of her eyes, and fumbled around on her belt for the communicator. "Hello, Adara! Calixta! Is anyone there? We need help—"

Amber was cut short as a large chunk of the ceiling crashed down just a few feet from them, sending more sparks and splinters into their faces. The smoke was becoming so thick that it was barely possible for them to see each other.

"We're trapped!" Amber continued to yell into the communicator, although she was getting no response. "We need help right away! We've been injured…"

"Where the hell are they!" Maris yelled, then broke into a fit of coughing. The three of them bent down to avoid getting the worst of the smoke.

The realization finally dawned on Miakoda. "Even if we did reach them…they wouldn't have enough time to reach us."

Calixta tapped on her communicator, trying to make the static noise it was producing disappear. "What's wrong with this thing now?" she groaned before finally choosing to ignore it.

Feritzia and Calixta looked up as Adara exited the Greek restaurant where the others were supposed to meet Melcastle. Adara looked puzzled and a little annoyed. "They're not there. The manager said they came in for a little while, ordered drinks, and left. There's no telling where they could have gone now."

"Oh, Maris is going to kill me…" Feritzia moaned. "She'd probably out buying bullets right now."

"If Melcastle hadn't shown up, they probably would've tried to contact us," Calixta pointed out.

Before Adara could answer, a chirping ring sounded from her jacket pocket. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out her pen cell phone. "Speak of the devil," she said, putting it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Adara? Adara, it's your mother."

Adara froze at the sound of Erika's voice…she definitely hadn't been expecting her mother. "What is it?"

"I'm so sorry…" Erika sounded near tears. "There's been an accident."

Next episode preview:

Adara: "Things are finally coming to a head as we race to undo the damage that has already been done. It's time for me to finally confront my past, and to confront the one woman who holds the key to events in the present. Erika. Mother."

Episode 13: 'Inferno'


	13. Inferno

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny

Book 1: New York

Chapter 13: Inferno

Authors: OSTOCOM

Email and Website: See our profile

Rating: R for language and abuse

Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See Book 0 for complete disclaimer.

---------------------------------------------

"Adara? Adara, it's your mother."

Adara froze at the sound of Erika's voice on her cell phone…she hadn't been expecting a call from her mother. "What is it?"

"I'm so sorry…" Erika sounded near tears. "There's been an accident."

Time seemed to stand still as Adara tried to process what her mother was saying. "Accident? What are you talking about?"

"It's horrible," Erika replied. Her voice was quivering. "Your teammates, they tried to save me. They were caught..."

"What do you mean? What happened to Maris and the others!"

"The building is on fire! They're trapped!"

"Where are they? Mother, tell me where you are!" Adara tried to keep her voice calm, but the sense of panic that had been building since the beginning of the call was threatening to overwhelm her. She grabbed Calixta's personal organizer and pen from the very surprised computer specialist and started to write. "We'll be there as soon as possible! Just stay out of the way and be careful!"

Adara shut her cell phone and turned to Calixta and Feritzia. "They're in trouble," she said. "Let's go."

No one argued with her as they piled into Calixta's spinner and shot off into the sky. Luckily, it was not as far to Erika's location from their current position as it would have been from headquarters. Within minutes, Calixta was pulling the spinner to a stop right behind several fire trucks.

The entire area was surrounded by officials and onlookers, and the police were doing their best to hold the crowd off.

Calixta took one look at all of the commotion surrounding the fire and sighed. "There are entirely too many people here."

------

"Hello! Is anyone there!" Amber continued to yell into the communicator.

"Give it up, it's not working!" Maris yelled back, doing her best to ignore the pain in her hands. "If anyone was there, they would've answered by now!"

"Well then, what do you suggest we do!" Amber retaliated, sooty tears sliding down her cheeks. "We can't just give up!"

Maris swallowed hard, fighting off tears herself. "I dunno…if that bitch hadn't stolen my water, we could've gotten out of here fine…"

"Miakoda! Can't you call one of your spirits or something?" Amber turned to the startled psychic. "You know, like have the spirit of the buffalo break down one of these walls or something?"

Miakoda shook her head. "The spirits can't affect inanimate objects. Even if they could knock out the wall, this whole building might—"

Before Miakoda could finish, another large chunk of the ceiling came crashing down only a few inches from where they crouched. All three attempted to shield their faces as more sparks and smoke flew into the air. "There's got to be a way out of here!" Amber cried.

"That window is broken, but there's no way we can get there," Maris pointed out. "Not unless we could somehow shield ourselves from the fire."

"I can make a shield," Miakoda said. "It'll be enough for us to make it to the window. But I can only take one person at a time."

"You go first." Maris looked at Amber. "I'll be fine here."

"No way, you're injured! You go first!" Amber shot back.

"There's no time to argue, just get the hell out of here!" Maris tugged Amber towards Miakoda, who was already starting the spell to form the shield. Miakoda held one arm around Amber tightly while using the other to hold the golden-brown shield around them. They stepped into the roaring inferno, and Maris vanished behind a wall of flames. Miakoda felt her way along carefully, searching for the opening that the smoke was escaping through. Amber tried not to think about the fact that the shield was barely keeping out the flames, and definitely wasn't blocking the intense heat. After what seemed like a five-mile walk through hell itself, they finally reached the broken window, ringed with fire and jagged glass. The opening was just barely large enough for one person to jump through.

"Get out, I'll go back for Maris!" Miakoda shouted above the suffocating flames. Amber just nodded. She squeezed her eyes shut and hurled herself through the opening, hoping that the ground below was at least mildly soft. Of course, it was concrete, but Amber barely even noticed her landing and was immediately back on her feet. She looked to the window, waiting for Maris and Miakoda to emerge.

Amber watched with horrid fascination as the flames licked the edge of the window. Fifteen seconds. Thirty seconds. Now most of the bottom half of the building was ablaze, and it started to moan as the supports wore away. A minute. Amber jumped as something inside crashed, and a shower of sparks rained from the open window. One minute and twenty seconds. (Why aren't they back yet?) Amber thought, clenching her teeth in anticipation.

Suddenly, a soot-blackened Maris charged through the opening, covering her head with her jacket. She landed on her shoulder, and let out a barrage of swear words before attempting to hobble away. She was followed five seconds later by an equally-blackened Miakoda, who took a bit more care in her landing and then helped Maris over to where Amber was. Using the shield for such an extended period of time had worn her out, and she was wheezing visibly.

The three of them huddled together, coughing, as the building continued to give way under the heat. While inside, none of them had been able to tell just how badly they'd been burned, but now their injuries were painfully obvious. Maris and Miakoda had gotten the worst of it, and Amber began to rip off strips of her shirt in order to wrap up their burned hands.

"Where is she…?" Maris gritted as Amber carefully bandaged her hand. "I'm gonna kill that fucking bitch…"

"Not without Nauticus you're not," Amber said. "We need to get out of here, and find some water so you can summon him."

"We need to warn Adara," Miakoda rasped, watching the burning building warily. "This entire meeting was a trap, and we're the bait. We have to prevent Adara from meeting her mother!"

"But if Erika finds out we escaped, she'll kill us for sure, and we have no way to defend ourselves," Amber pointed out. "We have to fall back."

Miakoda looked torn, but finally nodded in agreement, and the three of them ran as fast as they were able into the back alley, away from the blaze. As they left, Miakoda thought she could hear sirens in the distance, and she whispered a small prayer that no one else had been hurt.

------

"Shit," Adara muttered when she saw all of the commotion. "All right, we need to clear all of these people out of here. Quickly. Calixta, coordinate with the autho—"

Adara broke off abruptly as a section of the building collapsed in on itself. "Calixta, get on it! Feritzia, you're with me. We're going in there! Move it!"

All three women piled out of the spinner. Calixta headed over to where several of the police officers we gathered, hoping to find someone who was in charge. Adara and Feritzia started over to the old building, with the younger woman chattering all the way.

"Adara, you can't be serious! We can't charge into a burning building! It's stupid, it's dangerous, and it's totally not our job. I mean, we can't stop the Lucifer Hawks if we're barbecued crispy strips, right?"

Adara gritted her teeth. "I don't have time for your bullshit, Ensign. Three of our teammates are trapped in that building. We're going to rescue them. I'm invulnerable to fire. Just stay close to me and you'll be fine."

The ice mage swallowed, then managed to gather enough energy for a haughty glare. "I had better be," she muttered.

As they reached the door, which was already engulfed in flames, an ominous rumble shook the complex. Feritzia backed away nervously, wiping the sweat off her forehead. "I don't like the sound of that," she said.

"We've got to get in there!" Adara shouted. "Miakoda and the others are trapped inside!"

"It's too late! The building's going to collapse!"

As if hailed by that very prediction, another loud creak echoed from the building. A huge section of the roof collapsed inward. Deprived of the support, the rest of the building folded in on itself like a house of cards. Adara, Feritzia and Calixta could only look on in shock at the pile of burning rubble.

"Calixta!" Adara called. "I need to know if they were in there! Get your scanner! We've still got time if we hurry!"

Calixta swallowed thickly and nodded, sprinting over to the spinner and returning with the requested item. She pointed it at the ruined building, squinting as she tried to make out the readings. "I can't tell," she said finally. "There are too many people around. I can't isolate anything! Damn it!" She threw the scanner down at the ground in disgust.

"Maybe they weren't inside?" Feritzia suggested tentatively.

"Yeah, maybe one of them suddenly learned how to teleport," Calixta retorted. Feritzia shot her a glare.

"We don't have time for this!" Adara interrupted. She turned to the officer that Calixta had been talking with earlier and said, "I need all of these people cleared out of here, now!"

The young man swallowed in fear and stuttered his reply. "I-I'm s-sorry, ma'am but l-like I was telling her…"

"Perhaps you didn't understand me. I said I want these people gone and I want them gone now. By refusing to obey my order you are in danger of violating regulation AD-5883 subsection 4 paragraph 2."

The officer looked up at the imposing woman, terror etched on his young face. "B-b-but I don't have the authority…"

"I'll take it from here, Frank," a new voice broke in. An older gentleman in a blue NYPD uniform strolled over. "If it isn't the famous ECC," he greeted the three women. "Nice to see you again, ladies."

"Officer Farragut." Calixta acknowledged him politely.

"Get these people out of here, Farragut," Adara said in a no-nonsense tone. "I've got work to do." With that she turned on her heel and headed back towards the burning rubble.

Three minutes had passed since the building had collapsed. Three minutes since their teammates had possibly been trapped underneath burning wreckage. Adara stood in front of the rubble and took a deep breath, letting all of the anxiety and fear leave her as she prepared to do what needed to be done.

"What's she going to do?" Feritzia whispered to Calixta as they watched the combined forces of the police and fire departments quickly remove all of the bystanders.

"Well, I couldn't say for sure, but it looks like she's getting ready to use Extinguish Flame."

Before Feritzia could reply with another question, they both heard Adara start to speak.

/Dust to dust, all the world sleeps/

/As dawn approaches and the fire sky signals a new day/

/Return to whence you were summoned, o harbinger/

/Extinguish flame/

Adara extended her right hand towards the fire and slowly lowered it, the flames dying as her arm descended. Inside of a minute, the entire fire had completely died, leaving only smoke and smoldering ruins behind.

Erika watched as her daughter performed the spell that would extinguish the fire she herself had started. She sneered in disgust when she saw Adara nearly collapse onto one knee, her strength having been drained from trying to control that much fire as quickly as she had. It was only the presence of her two teammates, Jerel's bitch and the computer geek, that held her up. Soon it would be time to act.

"Adara," she called as she stepped out of the shadows that she had been concealing herself in.

"Mother?" Adara's face held a look of confusion. "Mother, what are you doing here?"

"Getting rid of a little problem," Erika replied, sending a quick burst of fire towards her daughter.

Adara was too stunned to dodge as she watched the fire rush towards her.

"Adara!" several voices shouted at once.

The fire hovered several inches in front of Adara's face before disappearing with a hiss.

"Now, now, you didn't think I'd make it that easy, did you?" Erika asked with a definite smirk. "I've got the power now, Adara. I can do anything I want. Anything at all."

Adara stood there, petrified, as she heard her mother's words echo in her head. Unwittingly, they brought back an image from her past and she was helpless as the memory overtook her.

------

/"Mama, what are you doing?" Adara asked curiously.

"I'm busy, Adara. Go away," Erika answered harshly. She took another drink from the bottle she was holding and turned away from the six-year-old.

"I finished everything Daddy asked me to do today," Adara persisted. "Can we go to the park?"

"I said I was busy, brat!" Her cold blue eyes flashed and Adara shrank back a little.

"But Daddy said that you would take me!" she insisted. Her mother did not respond and instead took another drink.

"Mama!" Adara huffed as she crossed her chubby arms across her chest. "Daddy always gets mad when you drink from that bottle. You shouldn't do that! We can go to the park instead."

Erika slowly turned her head towards Adara, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Listen here, you little shit," she hissed. "I can do anything I want!"

Adara's hands flew to her mouth as she gasped. "Mama! You said a bad word!"

"Shut up!" Erika screamed. She reached out and snatched her daughter by the front of the shirt and dragged her close. "If you say one more thing…" she threatened.

Adara whimpered as she tried to pull out of her mother's iron grip.

"I told you not to say anything!" Erika roared. She pulled her hand back and slapped the cringing girl across the face. She dropped Adara as though she'd been burned and then stared at her hand for a few moments, trying to block out the pitiful sounds of her daughter's sobbing. "Go to your room. I don't want to hear your bawling," she said harshly. "And don't you dare say anything about this to your father, unless you want to get hurt worse than that."/

------

Erika watched as her daughter appeared to be in the grip of her own thoughts. (How dare she not pay attention to me?) she fumed to herself. Before any of the other ECC members could react, she strode over and slapped Adara soundly across the face. "Wake up!"

Adara looked up with pain-clouded eyes as she cradled her cheek. "Mama?" she asked in a little-girl voice.

Just then they were interrupted by the sound of a small scuffle from the east. Everyone turned to see three bedraggled figures appear out of the shadows. Miakoda and Amber were supporting the slightly limping and taller form of Maris, who had Nauticus clutched tightly in one hand and an expression of pain etched on her face.

There was a stunned silence for several seconds as the two groups exchanged wary glances. Finally, the tense standoff was broken by a chorus of "You're alive!" from Feritzia and Calixta.

Erika snorted derisively. "So, I see you made it out."

"Adara, be careful!" Amber shouted urgently. "She's dangerous!"

"Newsflash!" Feri replied with a roll of her eyes. "We figured that one out already!"

Feritzia and Calixta ran past their field commander toward their teammates, casting anxious glances in Erika's direction all the way. Erika merely smirked as she let them retreat. There would be plenty of time to play with all of them.

Maris noticed the slight movement of their enemy's hands before anyone else, since she had been keeping both eyes trained on the bitch since their arrival. Before anyone could react she raised Nauticus, gritted her teeth and called out,

/Keeper of the rivers, receiver of rain

Cast a shield about your servant

Protect life with the life-giver

Ath ath crysallis ur illethias/

A water shield formed around the group just as the fire that had been thrown from Erika's outstretched hands reached them. Maris cried out in shock as the pain from her earlier burns raced up her arms. The shield dissipated almost as soon as it had formed, but it had managed to block the attack.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!" Maris shouted, although she wasn't quite sure who the question was directed to, the woman who was currently trying to kill them, or their field commander, who was apparently content to stand there and be killed.

"I'm going to take all of you out, just as Ganossa ordered me to," Erika replied. She surveyed all six of the women in front of her, before focusing her icy gaze on her daughter. "And I'm going to start with you, Adara. You've never been anything more than a worthless waste of my time."

"Ganossa," Miakoda hissed under her breath. She stepped in between Erika and her daughter. "Erika! Your daughter loves you. How can you speak to her that way?"

Erika's cold gaze shifted to the psychic. "This is between me and her. I'd advise you to stay out of it."

Adara's forehead furrowed as she tried to make sense of what her mother was saying. "Mama, why are you working for Ganossa? Don't you know he's evil? He's trying to destroy the earth!"

"So what? Earth is going to hell anyway. And if I can get more power out of the deal…" She trailed off and shrugged. "I don't care about his goals. He's given me the power I need. The power to finally prove that I am better than you. I created you, Adara. And yet you've always been more powerful. But now that isn't true anymore."

"I never cared about that," Adara said softly.

"Then you're a fool," Erika said, sneering. "This world, Adara, is all about power! Just one more reason I never should have had children. They don't understand anything."

The others could see the effect her mother's words were having on their leader. She was looking more and more defeated. Maris growled under her breath and clutched Nauticus even tighter. Amber looked worriedly between Adara and Erika, while Miakoda centered herself in case she needed to act quickly. Calixta was calculating her chances for a preemptive strike. She didn't like the odds, but she was prepared to act.

"I don't understand. Why are you doing this, Mama? I love you…I thought you loved me too." Adara looked near tears.

Erika laughed loudly. "Oh, that's rich! Adara, you're as big an idiot as your father. I'm going to do the world a favor and take you out of it."

Adara stood there, frozen, as her mother's words rang through her ears. They brought back memories of half-empty bottles, a contorted angry face hovering above her, slurred screams, blow after blow falling on her shoulders and legs, a harsh voice ordering her to make sure the bruises stayed covered up so that Daddy wouldn't ask any more questions….

A cry of "Adara! Look out!" snapped her out of her reverie. She looked up in time to see a giant ball of flame hurtling towards her. All of a sudden, however, she was violently shoved to the side.

She hit the ground hard, gasping as the air was knocked out of her lungs. A heavy weight settled on top of her and she looked up to see Miakoda draped across her. She was badly burned on the left side of her body and a few flames still licked at the back of her shirt. Adara quickly waved her hand over them and snuffed them out.

When she looked up at her mother this time, it was with anger fueling her gaze. She untangled herself from Miakoda and called out to her teammates.

"Take Miakoda to the hospital," she said. "I want all of you to retreat, now. I can deal with this by myself."

"Adara..." Calixta began uncertainly.

"I gave you a direct order, Lieutenant Solaris. And by God you will respect it, or I'll see you court-martialed so fast it will make your head spin. Get Miakoda out of here."

Calixta, Amber, Maris and Feritzia all exchanged tentative looks. "Now!" Adara roared. Calixta and Amber headed over and tried to maneuver Miakoda as carefully as possible into the waiting spinner.

"I'm not leaving," Feritzia said stubbornly.

"Ensign Ricci!"

"Don't 'Ensign Ricci' me!" she shouted. "You're always talking about how I need to learn to work with the team. Well...here. Teamwork. Happy now?"

"I hate to admit it," Maris said, "but Ice Princess here's got a point. We aren't leaving you without backup, Adara."

"Fine. Stay if you want. But don't interfere," Adara warned them as she turned her steely gaze on Erika. "This is between me and her."

Erika attacked first, sending several small fireballs toward her daughter. Adara's eyes narrowed as she easily avoided them. (She's testing me…trying to see how good I really am. Well guess what, Mother, you're in for a hell of a surprise. I'm not eight anymore.)

Grimly, Adara launched her first attack. The fireball was about three times as large as anything Erika had thrown at her and rushed towards her mother with frightening speed. Erika tried to dodge it, but it managed to catch her on her right side as she dodged out of the way.

Erika's eyes widened as she felt the heat from the impact. She grunted and looked down at her side, assuring herself that while it had hurt somewhat, the contact had done no real damage.

"Is that the best you can do?" She sneered at her daughter.

"I've had enough of this power play," Adara said, her temper rising. "Walk away, Mother. This is your last warning."

Erika just grimaced and started attacking with even more force. Adara was forced to dodge left and right while throwing attacks of her own. A few of the smaller fireballs she allowed to hit her, soaking up their residual energy in an attempt to refill her reserves.

(This isn't working,) she thought to herself in frustration after several exchanges had left both mother and daughter panting. (We're both almost completely invulnerable to flame. We're doing more damage to the surrounding property than we are to each other.)

Adara blocked another attack of fire, letting the heat soak into her. There hadn't been enough power behind the attack to do any damage. (She's getting tired,) Adara realized. (Of course, so am I. I won't be able to keep this up much longer.)

Both women had paused their fighting in order to reevaluate the situation. Adara knew that she couldn't allow this stand-off to end in a draw. Either way, one of them had to win. And she was determined for the sake of her friends and family that it be her. (I need a new tactic.)

Erika threw another gout of fire, which Adara allowed to hit her as she absorbed the heat and used it to feed her own power. And all of a sudden, she hit on an idea.

"Adara, heat and fire energy are a part of every living thing. We are fire elementals. We are part of the great fire that lives in everything."

Seven-year-old Adara listened intently as her grandmother started the explanation.

"That is why we can do what we do. That is why we can bend the flame to our will; we can cause it to grow…" she held up the palm of her right hand as a small flame suddenly sprung up and grew to the size of a large pear, "or we can cause it to be extinguished." She shut her palm tightly and the flame vanished with a slight wumph.

"There is no fire you can't control as long as you realize that it is a part of you, and you are a part of it. Command, just as you would command your arms to move or your legs to jump. It is merely an extension of yourself."

"There is no fire I can't control," Adara repeated softly to herself. She sent a long column of flame hurtling towards her mother; not strong enough to do any serious damage. Erika merely let it hit, not bothering to even absorb the residual energy as Adara had been doing. The younger woman grinned.

She reached out with everything that she had, attempting to find the center of her mother's power. A core of flame sprung up before her mind's eye. Adara started to pull. She pulled flame, drawing it out of her mother and towards herself. She could feel the power flowing, slowly at first, but then rushing out as if a dam had broken. The power was almost more than she could handle as she felt it flooding into her.

"What are you doing?" Erika screeched as she felt the drain begin. She doubled up in pain and then fell to her knees. As the power left her, she was no longer able to support herself.

"Stop it! Stop it right now, Adara Denise Davis! I'm your mother! You can't do this to me!" She shuddered as she felt the last of her precious power travel out of her.

Adara opened her eyes, reveling in the energy she had just pulled from her unwilling mother. She felt stronger than she ever had before. She felt...connected. She could feel the flame burning within her, and for one brief, glorious minute, she could feel the flame that burned in every living thing. She was truly one with the great fire of the earth, just as her grandmother had said.

"You lost the right to be my mother when you started trying to kill me," Adara answered Erika coldly.

"It wasn't me!" she pleaded desperately. "Ganossa threatened me! He made me do it! Him and his Lucifer Hawk lackey Jerel!"

Adara bit her lip as she considered her mother's words. "I…I'm sorry," she said finally. "I can't trust you anymore. You're my mother but…" The anger and pain she had felt as a child were still fresh in her memory. "I can't. Just leave, Mother. Leave and never come back. Never try to talk to me again. Just go."

"Pathetic." A male voice reverberated above them, its tones dripping with disgust.

Everyone turned their heads in the direction of the voice. Standing on the roof of a nearby building was a young man with long pale blue hair. He looked to be in his early twenties with a sharp, pointed nose and piercing blue eyes. The man surveyed the group of women before rising off the top of the roof and floating down to the ground gracefully.

"Ganossa," Erika whispered fearfully.

"Be silent, human!" he commanded. "I have no more time for your wretched games. You have always been nothing more than a useless lapdog. You've failed in everything we commanded you to do. You are unworthy of the great power Nemesis bestowed upon you."

"No!" she shouted. "Ganossa, it isn't true. It's her fault!" She glared at Adara as she pointed an outthrust finger in her daughter's direction. "The bitch tricked me!"

"You are a fool, human. Even I could see from the start that your offspring was more powerful than you could ever hope to be. You said it yourself," he said with a mocking smile. "This world is all about power. The weak are not worthy to survive." He made a pointed glance in Adara's direction as he said this. "Isn't that right, famed field commander of the ECC?"

Adara looked taken aback as she tried to come up with a reply.

"You wish to kill her for the pain she has caused you," he continued in soothing tones. "She has always tried to prove that she was better than you, even though both you and she knew the truth, that she was and ever will be nothing more than a weak shadow forever outshined by her beautiful daughter."

"N-no," Adara stuttered. "That's not true!"

"It is true. You know it, as does she. Why do you think she wasted so much time plotting your death? The death of her only child?"

He gave her a sly smile as he continued. "You've proven yourself better than I ever imagined, Miss Davis. You are the perfect example of the strong rightfully defeating the weak. Now, there is but one thing left for you to do. Kill her, Adara. Kill her and finally prove who is better."

"She won't do it, Ganossa!" Erika trilled. "She can't do it. She doesn't have the guts."

Adara bristled for a moment before commanding herself to calm down. "Of course I won't do it," she replied evenly. "I'm not a murderer. No matter what you say, Ganossa, true power isn't about petty games to see who can best the other. It's about the love and support you receive and give willingly to and from your family and friends."

"Love," Ganossa sniffed disdainfully. "Another pathetic human emotion. Tell me, Miss Davis, do you still love this disgusting creature? Even after everything she has done to both you and your comrades? All out of some misguided feelings of familial attachment?"

"I don't know," Adara answered candidly. "But I do know that I am not a murderer. I would never kill anyone in cold blood, and especially not if you asked me to."

"Very well then, I'll save you the trouble."

Ganossa suddenly jerked his arms upward. From below Erika, a column of black flame appeared and quickly engulfed the terrified woman. She screamed as the flesh was stripped from her bones in mere seconds right before the bones themselves turned to ash. Before anyone could react, the fire disappeared. There was nothing left of Erika Jacobs.

"Wh-What did you do?" Adara cried in anguish as she stared at the spot where her mother had been burned alive. She knew Erika's last, horrible scream would haunt her nightmares forever.

"I gave her exactly what she deserved."

"I-It's not true! You bastard!" Adara cried as tears streamed down her cheeks. "You fucking bastard! How could you!" She raised both of her hands and shot two large fireballs at him. Ganossa teleported out of the way the second before they would have hit him.

"I would suggest, Miss Davis," he said from directly behind her, "that you not play with fire unless you want to get burned." With that, he launched his own attack of black Nemesis flame. Adara groaned as it collided with her back and threw her to the ground.

She jumped up angrily and whirled to face him. She threw another fireball, but this one split just as it reached him and impacted from two sides. He grunted softly, and then glared at his opponent.

"I see you do have a few tricks up your sleeve. Too bad they won't be of any use to you."

He narrowed his eyes and flung both arms in Adara's direction. Her teammates watched, horrified, as a wall of black energy sprung forth. It hit their commander and flung her back several yards. She cried out as she hit the side of a building and then lay still.

"Consider this a warning, ECC. Next time, I will not be so generous."

Maris lunged forward with Nauticus, but let out a frustrated grunt as Ganossa teleported away before she was in range.

"What do we do?" Feritzia asked a bit timidly. Seeing Adara, who was arguably one of the ECC's strongest members, get so thoroughly trounced had shaken her composure.

"We get the hell out of here and get Adara to a hospital. Then, we start planning our next move. That bastard can't hide forever and next time…next time I'll show him just what Nauticus and I can do."

------

"Somebody should call Richard."

Maris jerked her head around in surprise at Feritzia's softly voiced comment.

"What?" the younger woman asked defensively.

"I just—that's a very thoughtful comment, Feritzia."

Feri snorted softly. "I can be thoughtful. Besides I know that if it were me, I'd want someone I cared about to know." She sighed and Maris watched as a melancholy look stole across her porcelain features. "They love each other very much, don't they?"

Maris just shook her head, deciding that trying to figure out Feritzia's moods would never be high on her list of priorities. "I'll do it. You just wait here for any news."

She watched as her teammate nodded absently, apparently still caught up in her own thoughts. Walking over to a nearby payphone, she took out her card and swiped it before dialing the operator.

After a brief wait while a bored young woman connected her call, Maris heard Adara's boyfriend answer. "This is Richard Price."

"Richard, this is Maris."

"Hello, Maris," he answered warily. "It's good to hear from you. Is everything all right?"

Cut right to the chase. She liked that in a man. No crap, no runaround. Certainly nothing like el jerko Darryl. Forcing her thoughts off her past, she did Richard the favor of replying in kind. "We're at the hospital. There's been an accident and Adara and Miakoda both suffered some pretty serious injuries. They're both fine—few weeks from now and they'll be good as new," she was quick to assure him. "We just thought you'd like to know."

He let out a deep sigh of relief. His heart had nearly hammered out of his chest when she broke the news that his lover and their friend had been severely injured. "I'll fly down right away. Where are you?"

"We're at the Naval Hospital in DC. You know, the new one they built when they expanded headquarters a few years back. I'll get them to wave you through when you arrive."

"Thanks, Maris. I should be there within a few hours." She could hear various papers being shuffled in preparation already.

"We'll watch over her till you get here. See you soon, Richard."

After hanging up the phone and seeing that Richard would be cleared for visitation as soon as he arrived, Maris went back to waiting with Feritzia, who had managed to find both Calixta and Amber and get an update on both Miakoda and Adara's conditions. It seemed that both women were being treated for second and third-degree burns, but were expected to recover with no complications.

"Adara's also pretty drained. She hasn't woken up at all since you-know-who knocked her out," Calixta reported. "The staff said her brain activity looks pretty good though, so they don't think she's in a coma. They're going to keep both of them here for a few days observation but after that we can take them home."

Maris grunted and looked down at her own hand, which she had had one of the nurses hastily treat with a burn salve and bandages. Her burns had only been minor second-degree burns—they hurt like hell but, luckily, were easily fixed by modern medicine. "So now we wait."

------

Richard sat by Adara's bedside in silence, every so often reaching out to smooth back a lock of auburn hair from her pale temple. After a frantic dash out of the office and a quick plane trip to DC, he had rushed to the hospital Maris had indicated. He'd been here hours and Adara had only stirred twice, crying out in fear and jerking away from him.

Now, however, she lay motionless. A couple of nurses had assured him that she was perfectly fine, just in a very deep sleep. He couldn't help but be worried though, since it wasn't like Adara to be so unnaturally still. And she was so pale...

Richard looked up in surprise when he heard someone enter the room. "How's she doing?" a slightly scratchy voiced asked with concern.

"Miakoda!" he exclaimed, hurrying over to help the injured woman into a chair. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I wanted to make sure she was okay. She risked a lot to save us."

He still looked concerned. "You shouldn't be here…you need to rest. What about the burns?"

Miakoda smiled in response to his concern. "I'll be all right. These burns aren't that bad and they are already on their way to being healed. I'm more concerned about Adara. Wounds of the soul might not leave physical marks, but they often take a lot more time to mend. How is she?"

Richard looked at the bed and heaved a sigh. "Honestly, I don't know. She hasn't really woken up yet. She…she doesn't want me to touch her now." He buried his face in his hands for a few moments and when he looked up again, Miakoda could see heavy lines of worry etched into his features. "Do you have any idea how much that hurts? It took us a long time to get to a point where she was unconditionally comfortable around me. Now I wonder if we'll have to start that long process all over again." His fist clenched. "How could her mother do that to her! How could any mother do that to her child?"

Miakoda thought carefully about her reply. "Mothers are human too, Richard. All of us have the power for good and evil in us, and it's up to us to decide how we're going to live our lives. Erika chose an evil path, and derived pleasure from asserting her superiority over a small child who couldn't defend herself. Then, after Adara grew up and Erika realized that she could no longer win in a contest of outright strength, she resorted to treachery and betrayal.

"But Erika is gone now, and it's up to Adara how she's going to live her life from here on out. I didn't see the end of the battle, but Calixta tells me Adara was very strong. Strong enough to somehow completely drain Erika of all the powers Nemesis instilled in her. We should trust in Adara's strength. I believe she'll come back to us, Richard. You should too."

"Quit talking about me like I'm not here," Adara whispered irritably from the bed.

Miakoda and Richard both looked startled. "You heard us?" he asked.

"Yeah, I heard everything," she sighed. "Thanks, Miakoda. What you said…it does make sense. I'm just kicking myself for trusting her again. If I hadn't let my guard down, maybe neither of us would be stuck here now."

"It's not your fault, Adara. I don't blame you and neither do any of our teammates. What Erika did was wrong. What she did to you as a child was wrong and what she did to you as an adult was wrong. I know it might take some time, but you need to get that through your thick skull."

Adara laughed weakly. "Yeah, it is pretty thick, isn't it? I'm not certain about anything, Miakoda. But if I keep repeating it to myself, maybe I'll believe it one day."

"You do that," Miakoda replied with a soft smile. "Now I'd better get out of here and back to my own room before someone realizes I'm missing. Good night, you two."

After she had left, Adara and Richard sat in silence until Adara reached over to take his hand. He gave her an encouraging smile as she gently traced the back of it with her thumb. "Sorry, Richard. I heard what you said, and you're right. I don't want to let her ruin one of the best things in my life. I just—" She looked up at him, her pleading gray eyes meeting his brown ones.

"Adara, it's okay. Everything's going to be fine. We'll make it work."

She tore her gaze from his and focused her eyes back onto a distant point of the ceiling. "I don't deserve you. Not after everything that's happened. God, Richard, how do you put up with all of this? I can barely stand it and it's my life! Why haven't you run screaming into the night yet?"

"I've seen stranger things," he said jokingly.

She fixed him with a frosty glare and he knew that his attempt at levity had fallen flat. "There's not much out there that's stranger than having a girlfriend who has control over fire and whose own mother tried to kill her with that same power."

"What your mother did has no bearing on you, darling."

"I hate myself for ever loving her. If I had just...if I had just hated her for what she did to me, none of this would have ever happened! I hate the fact that she hurt me and I hate that I was stupid enough to forgive her!" Her eyes closed and the hand that was still holding his clenched tightly. He could barely hold back his own tears watching the silent ones that coursed down her face.

"Adara..."

"And I hate the fact that I agreed with him," she interrupted him softly. "Ganossa. When he...when he killed her he said that she was getting what she deserved." She sobbed. "There was some small part of me—I agreed with him, Rich. God help me but I agreed with him!"

Richard moved out of the chair and perched lightly on the edge of the bed, leaning forward to wrap Adara gently in his arms. He held her while she cried, rocking her gently and whispering softly into her hair. "We'll get through this. I promise you I won't ever leave you. We'll get through it together."

Finally, after she had calmed down, she sniffled and looked up at him. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied. They were silent for a few more minutes.

"Do you remember the first time we made love?" he asked thoughtfully.

"And I lit your dresser on fire?" she asked, laughing through her tears.

He smiled at the memory. "Exactly. Remember what we promised each other after that? That we'd always be understanding of one another and, more importantly, that we would take things slow and work hard at building a relationship that would last. We've gotten pretty far since then, but I think that promise is still in effect. I won't abandon you. And together, we'll work past this; just like we've worked past every other obstacle that life has put in our path."

She smiled, even as a few more tears leaked from behind her closed eyelids. "We have, haven't we? I just...I want you to know that I do love you, more than I ever thought possible. And I know that you'd never do anything to hurt me."

He leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Never. Now get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up, and tomorrow…tomorrow will take care of itself."

As Adara slowly slipped back into unconsciousness, she heard a soft voice humming a half-remembered tune.

(He really does have a nice voice,) was her last thought before the comforting blackness claimed her.

------

"So...you killed her."

Ganossa graced his subordinate with a pitying smile. "Of course I killed her. She failed. She was always doomed to failure. I told you that from the beginning."

"She was useful," Jerel rumbled. "She caught them all off guard. She put several of them in the hospital. "

"A petty victory at best," Ganossa replied. "I should have come to expect such things from you."

Jerel growled, indicating that he did not share Ganossa's opinion of his plans.

"At any rate, it is of little consequence now. We have much more important things to worry about."

"Ah. You mean the Key." Jerel sounded less than thrilled.

"Yes." the blue-haired man replied as he sipped his red wine. "The Key."

------

"We think we may have discovered the key to finally sealing the gates of Nemesis forever." Rally Cheyenne's cool alto tones had a slight buzz to them, indicating the communication was occurring over a secured line.

Mackenzie felt anything but secure regarding this latest communiqué. "Are you sure about this? I know I don't need to remind you what happened the last time someone tried to seal the gates to Nemesis."

"No. You don't," Rally answered stiffly.

------

"I hope I don't need to remind you of your loyalties?" Ganossa asked lightly. His undertone, however, was anything but pleasant.

"Of course not," Jerel said immediately, bowing his head. "As always, I serve the King."

"Good."

"I am simply unaware as to why the key is of such importance to you...and him," he pressed on.

Ganossa shot him a glare.

------

"You must know that this is of utmost importance," Rally continued. "Katsumi believes that she knows what went wrong with her father's spell. With all of us providing her the energy she needs, she can seal the gates once and for all."

"You believe her." It was not a question.

"I believe we have to try," Rally answered.

"We'll be there," Jameson replied, trying not to let any of the doubt she felt color her words.

------

"It would be best," Ganossa articulated dangerously, "if you did not openly question my orders again. You forget yourself, Jerel. My will is still the King's will, no matter the form I am temporarily cursed with."

"Of course, Lord Ganossa," Jerel replied, seething. "But your Excellency must forgive this lowly one if he does not understand why a little human boy scares you so."

Ganossa chuckled. "You're a fool, Jerel. But an entertaining one nonetheless. The boy no more scares me than you do. I could crush either of you with little more difficulty than the humans have stepping on one a bug. No, my interest in the boy is something far more important...and more personal." A blue aura flared briefly around him as he thought of all he had been denied. All because of that thrice-damned human detective!

He carefully set down his wine glass and then casually reached out a hand, slowly making a fist. All of a sudden, Jerel felt the blood in his body start to slowly freeze as his heart began to pump slower and slower. He looked at Ganossa with wide, panicked eyes.

"Never forget who is in charge here." And with that, the pale blue-haired man slowly faded from view.

---------------------------------------------

Next Episode Preview:

Avalanche Wong: "Having returned to Tokyo, I feel the darkness of destiny approaching. The protectors of America and Japan have gathered under the red moon to repeat the mistakes of history. Despite the courage of the selfless, I fear tragedy will still befall the innocent…"

Next Episode: Mobius Redux


	14. Mobius Redux

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny

Book 1: New York

Chapter 14: Mobius Redux

Authors: OSTOCOM

E-mail and website: see our profile

Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi violence and some language

Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See the Authors' Notes for complete disclaimer.

---------------------------------------------

"We're going to close the gate to Nemesis!" Kiddy didn't bother to hide the surprise in her voice. "How the hell are we supposed to do that?"

"I'm sure Katsumi knows what she's doing," Lum Cheng chimed in before Katsumi could answer. "After all, it was her idea."

Katsumi sighed, and avoided the inquiring looks of her fellow teammates. "Actually, I really don't. But Grosspoliner remembers the incantation that my father used in 1999. I'm going to use it, and we're going to be in the exact same spot my father was in last time."

There was a minute of silence. Then Kiddy said what everyone else was thinking: "And what happened last time we tried closing the gates? Just looking out the window at the acid rain will answer that question. What makes us think it will work this time?"

"Do we even know what went wrong the first time?" Nami asked quietly.

"My father was a very powerful sorcerer. But an incantation of that magnitude requires a lot of power...more than I think even my father estimated. This time, we won't be doing it on one man's strength alone. We'll make sure we have the power to shut this thing for good."

"Which, I take it, is the reason why the ECC is arriving here in a little under ten minutes," Lebia said, nodding in the direction of the landing pad on the roof. "And here I thought they were just stopping by for a visit. You could have told us that Rally approved this little proposition of yours a bit sooner."

"I just found out," Katsumi answered. "I wasn't expecting her to...but I think she understands how serious things are."

Nobody said anything, but several people's gazes shifted to Roy, who was playing up at the front of the office. For the past six months, he had gotten very used to the AMP headquarters, since he spent all his time either with them or in Ralph's care. Katsumi was completely unwilling to leave Roy at a day care center, and the rest of AMP were inclined to agree with her. After the Category One had attacked AMP headquarters and nearly kidnapped Roy, nobody was willing to take chances, even if it meant keeping a little boy under 24-hour personal surveillance.

Within a few moments, Rally and Isozaki entered the main office. Everyone rose expectantly, knowing what Rally was going to say before she spoke. "Everyone, report to the roof. Our guests have arrived, and we should welcome them."

This produced a round of smiles from the members of AMP, and they were more than happy to carry out their Chief's orders.

Moments later, all eight women and Roy were standing by the landing pad, watching as the chartered helicopter slowly came to a stop. When the blades finally ceased whirling, the seven members of ECC climbed out. Katsumi, Kiddy, Lebia, Rally and Roy recognized the first four women that appeared...but there was also a tall blond-haired woman carrying a water bottle, a short Mexican-American woman, and a petite young woman whose dark blue hair had a dramatic silver streak.

"Hi! My name is Roy! Welcome to Tokyo!" Roy called out in carefully practiced English the moment they were all out of the helicopter.

Adara, delighted to see the little terror again, scooped up Roy in her arms. "You've gotten so big! And I see you remembered some English," she praised the beaming four-year-old.

The rest of the women exchanged greetings. Despite the language barrier between some of the members, everyone was successfully introduced. It was Rally who finally interrupted the reunion: "All right people, why don't we go inside and get out of this rain? Yuki, it would be great if you could brew some coffee."

"I agree," Maris said, drawing her coat closer around her. "Let's get out of this fu—" She stopped suddenly as she noticed Roy in Katsumi's arms. "I mean, this freezing rain."

The other ECC members exchanged glances, surprised at Maris' unexpected restraint.

As the women walked towards the AMP lounge room, Rally drew Kiddy and Lum Cheng aside. "Would the two of you call Ralph and Avalanche Wong? Ask them to join us...it would be good to have everyone together."

Kiddy grinned and hit the speed dial on her cell phone, as Lum Cheng nodded with excitement. Three weeks ago, Avalanche Wong had traveled to Tokyo to see them. His arrival had been completely unexpected, but they were more than happy to let him into the circle of knowledge, even if he wasn't acting in an "official" capacity. Lum Cheng had been especially happy to see her grandfather again; she had missed him since leaving China four years ago.

However, with his arrival came a sense of uneasiness, because of the contents of the small black box he carried with him. Avalanche Wong was now the guardian of the demon sword Medium. Katsumi and Mana had been particularly nervous when they sensed what he carried...for them, nothing but guilt and dark memories were associated with what was inside. Avalanche Wong assured them that the sword was safe in his possession, but that didn't put their minds at ease.

------

"I hope you guys enjoy this," Yuki said in Japanese, grinning from ear to ear. "I don't think I've ever made coffee for this many people before! I'm not sure if it's the same quality of smaller portions..."

"Excellent as always, Yuki," Kiddy complimented her.

"This is great! You could open up a shop with this stuff," Amber added, trying not to burn her tongue on the coffee.

Kiddy translated Amber's compliment to Yuki. Her smile diminished somewhat. I actually had a shop for awhile. It's closed now. My manager...left, and I had to sell it. Kiddy translated only the first part of the explanation, hoping to stave off innocent questions which might raise painful memories for Yuki.

The members of AMP and ECC were seated in a wide circle in the break room, with Roy running back and forth between people's legs every now and then. Rally, Mana and Mackenzie were out discussing things on their own, as well as waiting for Ralph and Avalanche Wong to arrive.

"So! You guys gained three more members in six months," Kiddy nodded at the three junior members. "You must have a great recruiting program."

Maris snorted something under her breath, and Feritzia grumbled and looked the other direction. "Let's just say coincidence is a great recruiter," Amber said, winking at Kiddy.

Lebia did a quick head count. "Now both groups have six members...interesting."

"Now, I've heard all your names, but I haven't heard what you do yet," Kiddy said. "How'd you three end up with us psychos, anyway?"

Amber smiled brightly. "I used to be a journalist. I was investigating some mem-sweep cases when I came across the ECC. I'm a truthsayer."

Kiddy's eyebrows shot up. Maris cleared her throat. "I can breathe underwater, and I have a water sword named Nauticus. I used to be a lobster fisherman."

"And you curse like one too," Feritzia interjected with a bluntness that would have made Lum Cheng blush. "Feritzia. I'm an ice mage, and I'm still not sure exactly why I'm here."

Miakoda gave an uncomfortable twitch at Feritzia's lack of tact, and forced a tight smile. Calixta sipped at her coffee carefully before breaking the silence. "Well I must say, it's nice to finally meet all of AMP. Seeing you again is reassuring after all that's happened."

"I heard you guys have had it rough," Lebia said sympathetically.

"You could say that..." Adara did well to hide the pain in her voice.

"It's not exactly been a picnic over here, either," Katsumi said decisively. "Which is why we're going to end this once and for all. I know with all of you here we can do this. We can close the gates to Nemesis, and end this war that's cost us so much."

The AMP was quiet, and Katsumi knew they were still having doubts about the idea. However, they still gave her looks of encouragement and support. Katsumi was grateful to them...she was not exactly sure about this plan herself, and couldn't help like feeling this was more an act of desperation than anything else.

(Desperation or not, we have to try. Third attractions are popping up almost constantly now, and we can barely keep up with it. If we don't take major steps now, we'll eventually be overrun,) Katsumi thought to herself. She decided not to dwell on what might happen if they failed.

"Well, that's certainly incentive enough for me," Amber said, trying to give Katsumi a positive reaction. "Although if we're successful, it means we'll be put out of a job."

Nobody had even considered that...probably because nobody thought it worth considering. They all knew that their first priority was to protect humanity from the Lucifer Hawks. If that meant getting rid of the threat for good, then job security didn't matter. They all knew this, but couldn't help feeling some remorse, especially if it meant they had no reason to see each other again.

"Hey Lebia, do you suppose you could show me around your station?" Calixta said to the visionnaire. "I would love to see the equipment you have, and I've been dying to meet Dewey II..."

Lebia nodded, and everyone took this as a signal to disperse and talk with whomever they willed. Katsumi figured she could at least try and make Roy take a nap, although she didn't even want to think about how difficult that would be with all the visitors around.

/Master, I sense an unusual presence here./

Katsumi turned to Grosspoliner, who was floating close behind her in his sheath form. Roy reached his arms up, trying to bring Grosspoliner back down to him, but the sword's attention was apparently elsewhere.

/What do you mean, an 'unusual presence'/ Katsumi asked mentally.

/There is another one close. One who is like me./

Katsumi looked around, and the first person she noticed was Maris with her ever-present water bottle. Remembering Rally's mention that Maris was also a sword wielder, she figured that must be who Grosspoliner was referring to. "Maris! Could we see your sword...Nauticus? Just for a moment. I think Grosspoliner wants to talk to him."

Maris blinked in surprise. "Sure, whatever." She unscrewed the water bottle, and commanded Nauticus to emerge. Katsumi watched in amazement as the liquid sword flowed out of its container into Maris's hand. Maris let go of the sword, and it hovered in midair on its own with an ethereal feel. Grosspoliner turned and stared at Nauticus, who apparently just stared back. Realizing that Grosspoliner wasn't going to pay attention to him, Roy turned to look up at the person who owned the water bottle.

"You have an adorable son," Maris said, kneeling down to ruffle Roy's dark blue hair.

"Thank you. I just wish...his father was here to see him." She sighed, glad that she was now able to mention the incident in normal conversation.

"He leave you?"

"No. He...passed away."

"Well, at least he wasn't a jerk about it." Katsumi detected a hint of bitterness in Maris's voice. "It must be hard to care for a child all by yourself."

"I get discouraged sometimes," Katsumi gathered up Roy in her arms. "But I'd say it's worth it."

Maris only just nodded. She was looking at Roy with a strange expression on her face, as if watching Roy was like looking at a photograph of a distant loved one. "He really is adorable," she said once again.

Katsumi glanced back at Nauticus and Grosspoliner, who appeared to still be hovering there and staring at each other. "Huh. I wonder what swords-with-a-will talk about?"

Maris shrugged. "Um...sword stuff?"

While their masters talked, Grosspoliner and Nauticus held their own conversation...one which was slightly less sentimental.

/I am Grosspoliner, the King of Swords./

/I am Nauticus, the lord of the water./

/Did you know that I would be here/

/No. But I sensed you when I arrived./

/Do you sense the other one here/Grosspoliner's voice was slightly apprehensive.

/Yes. But it wasn't the same as you. This is an opposing presence. It seeks to undo us all/ Nauticus answered

with all seriousness.

/...I've been having strange dreams. Dreams of a time before my master Katsumi, or my previous master Gigelf, or any of the Liqueur line. I was my own master. How could that be/

/It seems as though we've always been as we are. What would our purpose have been before that? Was it the same as it is now/

/My purpose is to do what my master Katsumi wills. To protect those who cannot protect themselves. To destroy those who would hurt the humans./

/...But would that include destroying yourself/

Grosspoliner paused. /What do you mean/

/The other one that is here. The one that opposes us./

/Medium is not like we are. You know that just as well as I do. We have a will of our own, but we are not slaves to ourselves./

/We are bound by a contract that has existed since our creation. To break that contract would only mean disaster./

/This is true. But a thought has occurred to me, Nauticus...do you think there are others out there/

/More that are like us? Or like Medium/Nauticus sounded puzzled.

/Like us. Those that are bound by contracts, that serve their masters as we do./

/I don't know. But I sense that we are not...complete./

Another pause. /Should we tell our masters/

/No. If we are meant to find the others, we will find them./

Nauticus then turned away from Grosspoliner. /Ms. Lynn, we're done now. Please call me if you need anything./ With that, the water sword liquefied and then evaporated into nothing.

Roy was finally able to grab ahold of Grosspoliner once again, and smiled at regaining his friend. "Gosspleener, let's go play with Caleeza and Adara and Amber!"

Grosspoliner sighed, and said in an exasperated tone/Don't you ever get tired of playing, little master/

Katsumi laughed as Roy merely ran off with the sword in both arms. Just then, Lum Cheng passed by them and waved. "Hey Katsumi, Maris! Come down to the lobby, Ralph and my grandfather just arrived!"

------

"How have you been?" Ralph hugged Kiddy tightly, knowing it was usually better if he was the one to initiate the hug. "It seems like it's been forever."

Kiddy smiled, and let herself enjoy Ralph's embrace. "You twit, it's only been three days or so."

"Three days is forever if I'm just sitting there without you. You've been getting all the action these days."

"Lucky me," Kiddy snorted. She looked over to where the others were gathering. "I suppose we should go join the gang. Katsumi and Rally are going to explain exactly how we're going about pulling off this crazy plan of theirs."

Lum Cheng sped past Ralph and Kiddy to where Avalanche Wong was hobbling up behind them. She was always grateful when her grandfather came to visit, and was even more so now. He was nearly knocked over by her enthusiastic hug. "Hello there, granddaughter! I see you're good health, as always," he said after regaining his breath.

"You have to meet all the girls from New York," Lum Cheng smiled at him, "They just arrived today."

"So I've heard. Well, let us make sure that their journey here was worthwhile."

With all members present and accounted for, the women and the two men began to settle themselves in the large AMP conference room. The ECC was beginning to understand how the AMP had first felt when they visited New York...it was very difficult for them to keep their eyes open. But they kept their composure as best they could, and listened as Katsumi proposed her idea.

Katsumi looked around carefully at her teammates, compatriots and friends. They were all somewhat nervous, but ready to do whatever was needed to protect their cities and their world. Katsumi took a deep breath, glanced back down at her son, and began, with Lebia providing Japanese translation. "First off, I want to thank you all for taking part in this. I know that most of you don't have to be here, but you're here anyway. I think this shows the Hawks how connected we are in the fight against them, and I'm almost certain they're not happy about it.

"This is the essence of my plan: we close the gates to Nemesis, and we do it soon. It will require a lot of power, which is why we need everyone's help. Grosspoliner has remembered the spell to close the gates. We'll do the spell in the same location as before. There's an important convergence of earth's energies there, and it can only help us. This time, however, there will be no interference—from Ganossa or otherwise—and working together we can correct whatever went wrong before.

"I will perform the spell in the center of the circle. There will be a lot of magical energy involved, which means I'll need the help of other people. Rally, Lum Cheng, Adara, Feritzia and Miakoda..." She nodded at each person in turn. "All of you will help. I know that all of you have access to large amounts of magical energy, it's just a matter of gathering it together."

She looked in Avalanche Wong's direction. "Which is why we need your help, Master Wong. You will act as a conduit for the energy, and redirect it into me and Grosspoliner. With all seven of us working together, we should have enough energy to close the gates forever.

"Now, if we're going to close the gates, you can bet that a whole lot of Lucifer Hawks will show up to stop us. Which is where the rest of you come in. Nami, Yuki and Mana will work together to create a triple psychic shield. This should greatly decrease the chance of Hawks entering the area where the spell will be performed. Everyone else will also be on the defensive: Kiddy, Lebia, Ralph, Mackenzie, Amber, Calixta and Maris, be ready to fight. Above all else, we must prevent any Lucifer Hawks from reaching the inner circle.

"That's all. It's not the best idea ever, but it's there, and it's the best we've got. Does anyone have any questions?"

There was a long, heavy silence. Then Feritzia raised her hand and said, "Okay, so, what exactly am I doing again? Does it involve a lot of mystical wind tangling my hair? Because if it does, I'd like to switch with someone else."

Adara just about fell out of her chair. Maris groaned and replied, "It means you just stand there and lend your magic to Katsumi, moron. Make yourself useful for a change."

"Is transferring power like that safe? What if someone gets hurt?" Feritzia objected.

"It should be all right. If anything, it'll hurt me rather than all of you," Katsumi answered her.

Of course, nobody wanted that to happen, either. But they could see that there would be no arguing with Katsumi on this point, so they didn't bother to try. When nobody said anything else, Mackenzie stood up and addressed her subordinates: "You heard her, ECC. We've got a busy day tomorrow, so we need to be well fed and rested up. Rally has suggested an excellent restaurant with some real Japanese food, so we'll have our dinner there before going back to our hotel."

The ECC nodded in compliance, especially since they were all beginning to feel a little hungry. The women slowly dispersed down to the lobby, where they exchanged small talk and shared experiences until the taxi arrived.

Feritzia, who was the last to walk out to their waiting taxi, stopped suddenly as she noticed Avalanche Wong staring at her. At least, she sensed that he was looking at her intently. "What are you staring at?" Feritzia said, unnerved by the ancient elementor.

"Feritzia Ricci..." Avalanche Wong began.

Feritzia blinked. She didn't recall anyone telling this man her last name. "What is it?"

"Two of the six are here ..." His voice was filled with husky ambiguity, as if he was not even aware of what he was saying. "The other four shall reveal themselves in time. When they do, you will come to know who you are, and what sort of power you have."

Feritzia was stunned. She had not expected this sort of thing out of Avalanche Wong. "I know who I am," she said quietly.

"You know who everyone else thinks you are. You are still searching for your purpose. Why you have awoken in this time, with these people?"

Feritzia just shook her head.

"You are the Maiden of Ice. Your purpose is twofold, but you cannot see it." He seemed to smile to himself. "It's always been fascinating to me to see the younger generation learn new things about themselves."

Feritzia backed up a few steps. She certainly didn't feel like she was learning anything about herself. "Yeah, I'm sure you do," she said quickly before turning on her heel and exiting the building.

Avalanche Wong watched her go. His smile slowly disappeared as he turned his gaze to the darkening clouds through the lobby window. "If only the young did not have to face the coming trials in order to learn them..."

------

The following night was just as stormy and foreboding as the day before had been. Clouds billowed over the ruined buildings of old Tokyo as three separate vehicles moved towards an open field of concrete. Long abandoned after the Silent Crisis, this section of Tokyo now echoed with an eerie loneliness. There was no sign of life for miles around, either human or Lucifer Hawk. Although the latter was good for the AMP and ECC, it still didn't help to ease their tension. Nobody said a word the entire ride there, though everyone was thinking similar thoughts.

The vehicles stopped a few feet from the site of the incantation. The spot where Gigelf had stood 36 years ago, where he had tried to save the world from destruction, lay in a field of broken buildings. Rally stepped out of the lead vehicle and felt the harsh wind whip through her hair.

"All right, people. Let's get everything prepared. We need all the time we can get."

Everyone else exited the vehicles and got to work. Feritzia instantly began to question and complain, earning several glares from the ECC. Roy trailed Kiddy closely, glancing around like a timid bird. Katsumi had been loath to leave him behind, especially when his most qualified protectors were taking part in the sealing of the gates. Roy had never been to this part of Tokyo, and he couldn't help but feel afraid. He put on a brave face, however, and kept asking if he could help. The women smiled at his requests, but were more concerned with keeping him safe than letting him run wild in an attempt to be heroic.

Rally pointed to the outer rim of the concrete circle. "Mana, Yuki, Nami, set up a barrier around the far perimeter of this area. Everyone else, keep inside the barrier and keep a sharp lookout. Those performing the spell, move toward the center."

Nami walked around the far edge of the circle, placing 'ofuda' on the walls of stone every few feet. Yuki and Isozaki stood on opposite ends of the circle, and prepared to cast shields of their own.

Lebia and Calixta joined them on opposite sides, each of them scanning the area for Lucifer Hawks. Maris clutched Nauticus as she and Kiddy walked out into the darkness, barely able to keep Lebia and Nami in sight, due to the low fog and wind. "I don't like this," Maris said in a low voice as they took up their positions. "This doesn't feel right at all."

"You mean how there are no Lucifer Hawks here?" Kiddy said.

"Exactly. If we actually are going to pull this off, it means the Hawks will disappear from the Earth for good. Now if I were a Lucifer Hawk, I'd want to do something about it. So why haven't any shown up?"

"Well, either they don't know about it..."

Maris snorted sarcastically.

Kiddy knew it sounded unlikely. "...Or it means we're doing something wrong." She looked back to where the incantation was to be performed, and fingered the trigger of her graviton gun.

Maris shook her head decisively. "Just don't think about it. We have to stay sharp."

"Right..." Kiddy tried to ignore the icy shiver running down her spine. She sensed that the feelings were mutual for Maris. "Stay sharp."

In the center ring, Adara, Feritzia, Miakoda, Lum Cheng, Rally and Avalanche Wong all formed a circle around Katsumi. Katsumi couldn't help but notice that the other six people around her seemed to form the familiar six-pointed star. Remembering the strength that such a symbol gave her, she tried to hearten herself and shook the tension out of her muscles. /I bet this brings back old memories, doesn't it Grosspoliner/ she said mentally to the sword.

/Actually, I'm afraid not, my master. I can't seem to remember much of that night at all, except for the spell that my previous master Gigelf used./ Grosspoliner sounded somewhat distressed.

/That's okay. That's all we need to know at the moment/ Katsumi reassured him.

For several minutes, everyone stood around and did nothing. Feritzia finally looked up from where she was drawing circles in the dirt with Prism and said, "So are we going to get this thing over with, or what?"

Rally sighed, and spoke into the communicator on her collar. "Isozaki, are things clear on your end?"

"No sign of life here," came the reply.

"Yuki, how about you?"

"Things are pretty quiet," Yuki responded.

Rally then nodded to Katsumi, who nodded in return. She held Grosspoliner above her head and commanded his blade form to come forth. The enormous sword spread to its full eight-foot height in her hand. Once Grosspoliner was fully formed, Katsumi took him and thrust the blade into the ground at her feet. On contact with the ground, a strange wave of green light seemed to spread out beneath their feet, followed by an invisible pulse that could be felt all the way down to the bone. Then slowly, an enormous symbol made its way out from around Grosspoliner. The green lines spread outward, lighting up all of the ruined buildings with an ethereal green glow. Nobody could actually see what the symbol was from their position, but they all somehow knew that anyone above them would see an enormous six-pointed star.

Katsumi lifted her gaze to the heavens, and spread her hands, seeming to offer up Grosspoliner to some higher power. A heavy wind began to swirl around her, buffeting the nearby ruins and forcing everyone to brace against it. Adara closed her eyes and produced a ball of flame in her hand, concentrating all of her energy into the heat she could create. In the same way, Feritzia willed herself to concentrate on the ice magic she could feel flowing through her veins, and her skin suddenly went cold, with tiny flecks of frost developing across it. Miakoda uttered a long chain of words to herself in Navajo, the air around her shimmering with a warm brown glow. Lum Cheng held Jesso upright in front of her, chanting the spells of the elements. Finally, Rally released her own magical energy, and the mark on her forehead glowed a dangerous red. Nobody seemed to be aware of Avalanche Wong chanting his own spell, and redirecting the power into Katsumi. Those on the outside could see the old man straining with the effort, but nevertheless managing to do his part.

Katsumi's consciousness flickered in and out as a sudden wave of energy filled her limbs. The bright stones on Grosspoliner glowed brilliantly as he was also filled with the combined power of the six other women directed through Avalanche Wong. Roy watched with frightened eyes as Katsumi seemed to quiver with the combined energy, and would have run forward, had Amber not stopped him.

"What's wrong with Mommy?" Roy cried, his lower lip quivering.

"It's okay! Your mommy is fine! She's just doing some magic, it will be over soon!" Amber said, trying to reassure both the four-year-old and herself.

Once the energy reached its maximum output, Katsumi found herself yelling out the spell to the billowing clouds above, although she was barely even aware of where she was.

/Guardian Lord in Heaven,

Soul of all planets,

Please lend me your power/

Whoever Katsumi had called was certainly listening. The wind spun faster around her and the six magic-users, causing the power to waver for just a second. They all remained faithfully steady in their concentration, however, almost as if another force was guiding them.

/Great Grand Cross!

Become the power to move the gates of Nemesis!

Give us God's mercy and protection!

Twelve Anima Mundi of our system, hear my plea!

Hear me, guardian spirit of Terra...

Mother Gaea/

The earth began to rumble beneath their feet. It was not enough to make them lose their balance, but enough to make them feel as if the very core of the Earth itself was shifting. Just as the earth's magic began to circle around Katsumi and Grosspoliner, so the clouds above them began to swirl into a funnel shape, exposing a patch of the stars directly above them. It seemed as if the atmosphere itself was forming a path to the invisible world in the sky, the dark twin of the planet they now stood upon. Those that were in the innermost circle for a moment became aware of what was happening, and it seemed to all of them that the gates to Nemesis really were going to close.

/Close the gates to Nemesis,

Upon the name of Katsumi Liqueur!

There must be no chain to the heavens!

Portal to the skies, close/

A brilliant beam of light erupted from Grosspoliner and stretched upwards through the tunnel in the clouds, and into infinity. The great six-pointed star below them glowed even brighter, until the stones they stood on seemed to be on fire. For a moment, it seemed as though gravity was trying to undo itself, as everyone's hair flew upward with a mysterious wind that rose from the earth.

Yuki, who stood a good distance from the inner circle, watched all that happened with wide eyes. She felt like she almost didn't need to protect the field; she saw no Lucifer Hawks anywhere near them. Her heart rose along with the beam of light to the sky, and she wanted nothing more than to leave her post and go congratulate Katsumi on completing the spell.

A sudden flash in the sky broke her moment of happiness. The clouds that swirled above them all suddenly took on an angry red tinge, and bright red lightning filled the air with thunder. Yuki's dream six months ago suddenly came rushing back to her in a torrent of images, and she collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed. It was all the same as before...the world spinning out of control, and the six-pointed star seeming to cover all she could see. Yuki screamed at the rush of memories, and her cry broke the trace that had held everyone in its grip.

Across the circle, Nami's 'ofuda' suddenly split in two and caught fire, breaking the protective barrier that they had formed. Nami knew that it was not because of a Lucifer Hawk, but instead from the power that was radiating inside the barrier. She made a signal to Isozaki, who shouted into her collar communicator, "Chief, the barriers are going down! We need to stop the spell now!"

Rally heard the command, and tried to end the supply of magical energy she was giving to Avalanche Wong. However, it seemed as if she were locked in the position, and was unable to stop herself from adding power. The mark on her forehead glowed with burning intensity until she could barely stand it, and it was all she could do to stand upright. She turned to Katsumi and yelled, "Katsumi, end the spell! This isn't right! Undo what you've done!"

Katsumi heard Rally's cry, and felt the earth beneath her trembling with negative energy. But she couldn't move, and she didn't know how to undo the spell. Instead, she did the only thing she could think to do at the moment, and tried to perform the spell again:

/Guardian Lord of Heaven,

Soul of all planets,

Lend me your power!

Great Grand Cross.../

The ground quaked angrily, and several people on the middle ring lost their balance and collapsed on the stones. The green symbol become blood red as a wave of crimson spread over the ground. It seemed as if Grosspoliner being thrust into the ground had caused the Earth itself to bleed, and every person present felt the pain the Earth was feeling. In an instant, they all knew what had happened: this blood-red wave was what had covered the globe the first time around, on a warm July night in 1999, when the Silent Crisis had poisoned the rain, tainted the ground, and wiped out more than half of life on the planet.

And now it was happening again.

Katsumi felt tears rise in her eyes as the words continued to come out of her mouth, uncontrolled. Though they had all been afraid that a second Silent Crisis would result from their plan, no one had actually believed that it could happen. But now they could feel it in the air, in the earth, and in their blood. In a desperate attempt to stop it all, Katsumi grabbed Grosspoliner and tried to pry him from the earth's grip, even as she continued the spell.

Suddenly, however, a new voice emerged amidst the turmoil. It started out slow and husky, but grew in power until it blocked out Katsumi's words and even the noise of the wind. Everyone's eyes turned to Avalanche Wong, who now was also lifting his gaze to the clouds. In a voice that was full of unimaginable power and authority, he said:

/Guardian Lord of Heaven,

The Spirit of Terra, called Mother Gaea,

Turn from your wrath!

Lift your curse from your people,

And place it upon he who will bear it!

The power to burn,

Shall burn this instead!

The power to destroy,

Shall destroy this instead!

By your will, Soul of all Planets,

Keeper of the four elements,

Leave the gates to your wisdom!

Lurem Orithin Kai/

As the spell finished, the beam of light suddenly disappeared from Grosspoliner, and shifted to Avalanche Wong instead. The air radiated with a high-pitched noise, so loud that nobody heard Lum Cheng scream to her grandfather.

However, they all felt what Lum Cheng saw...the power churning between the six people in the circle had suddenly shifted, as if a new gravity was pulling on their energy. The focus of the whirling earth shifted from Grosspoliner to Avalanche Wong, and the red tinge to the earth intensified until it turned white.

It seemed to those around him that Avalanche Wong had become a black hole, drawing all light and energy to him. Avalanche Wong continued to chant, but his words were drowned out by the roaring wind. Just when it seemed that all the magical energy in the world had gathered into one tiny spot in old Tokyo, all sound suddenly ceased and Lum Cheng's voice ripped out over the silence: "GRANDFATHER!"

With a silent boom, a shock wave circled out from the ancient elementor, throwing everyone within the circle backward. The shock wave caused the concrete itself to ripple. The great metal buildings quivered, and blocks of old walls tumbled to the ground. Mackenzie looked up just in time to see the wall she was stationed behind begin to give way, and she rolled to avoid it. Above them, the clouds rolled back like a scroll, revealing a star-filled sky.

Nobody saw what happened next, but they felt a second wind rush past them, as if a vacuum was being filled. The wind rushed inwards for a second, and then was gone, leaving behind only a deathly silence.

Katsumi slowly picked herself up, and the first thing that she saw was Grosspoliner in his sheath form, lying next to her. Her thoughts instantly turned to her son, and she scanned the horizon for him. She breathed a little easier as she saw Amber holding Roy in her arms.

"What are the conditions? Report!" Rally was the first one to break the silence.

Those that were on the outside of the circle began to stumble inward, desperate to find out what had happened. "The shields were completely destroyed," Nami said breathlessly. "Was it a Category One?"

Nobody answered her question. They were still trying to figure out what had taken place. What mere moments ago had been the beginning of a second Silent Crisis was now an empty, peaceful landscape.

All eyes turned to where Avalanche Wong had been standing. He was the only one who had not stood up after the shock wave. Lum Cheng was kneeling by his side, and gently shaking his still form. Although all the others were desperate to release a flood of questions, they were muted by Lum Cheng's quiet voice, speaking in halting Chinese.

"Grandfather? Grandfather, it's me. You can get up now, it's all over. It's all over..." Her voice choked, and she wiped furiously at the tears brimming beneath her eyes. She kept shaking the still man until she suddenly seemed to remember that there were other people present. "Somebody help him!" she cried furiously to her friends. "Isozaki, Rally, somebody! Help him!"

Isozaki moved towards Lum Cheng and her Grandfather. Lum Cheng kept shouting demands at no one in particular, the desperation in her voice echoing off the splintered concrete and into the cloudless sky. Isozaki knew before she touched him that Avalanche Wong would have no pulse. She withdrew her hand quickly, shocked by what she did feel. It was as if the old man's body had become nothing but a husk. All traces of his spirit and soul were gone, somehow sucked into the mystical black hole he had generated. Lum Cheng saw the look that crossed Isozaki's face.

"No!" The young elementor stood up and gripped Jesso so hard her fingers turned white. "How did this happen? Katsumi, what have you done! What did you do to him? Rally! All of you! What did you do!" she screamed at her friends, then choked as her voice gave out. "...What did I do?" she finally said to herself.

"It wasn't any of us..." Miakoda said hesitantly, not in answer to Lum Cheng's question, but coming to the realization. "He did it himself. He absorbed all of the power."

Roy freed himself from Amber's grip and ran back to his mother. Katsumi absently hugged her son as he clutched her leg. She was trying to keep the tears away from her own eyes. Suddenly she understood what Avalanche Wong had done. He had allowed himself to absorb the immense powers they had released, and had sacrificed himself to prevent another Silent Crisis.

/It's my fault...this was all my idea. If I hadn't even thought of this, Avalanche Wong wouldn't have.../

Katsumi didn't even realize that she had been mentally speaking to Grosspoliner. He answered/No, master. None of us knew this would happen...not even I./

Katsumi didn't answer him. She couldn't bear to take her eyes away from Lum Cheng, who had once again fallen beside Avalanche Wong. She was choking on her own sobs, crying the tears that all the other women there were feeling.

She spoke quietly to him through the sobs, "Grandfather...you can't leave me here alone. How could you do this? Now I have no one...now I'm alone..."

"No..." Isozaki responded, touching the young woman's shoulder hesitantly. "You're not alone."

------

"How's Lum Cheng doing?" Calixta asked as she sipped at her coffee the following morning. The day had dawned with perfect sunshine; a somewhat rare phenomenon. But none of those who had gathered at the AMP headquarters found much joy in it...they all knew that no one had gotten any sleep that past night. Reports had to be filed, and arrangements had to be made for Avalanche Wong's body. It was a long, tiring process that no one even wanted to think about, so they ended up sitting around the office and kept Yuki busy making coffee.

"She's been in her room since last night. Mana talked to her for a while, but I think she's alone right now. Chief Rally is going to order her to take some time off...my guess is that she's going back to China for a few weeks," Nami answered once Lebia translated the question into Japanese.

"They're going to have the funeral there, aren't they?" Amber added solemnly. "Are you all not going to go?"

"We're going to hold a service here as well, but I think Lum Cheng wants the actual rites to be performed in China, in their traditional fashion," Lebia said quietly. "I think Avalanche Wong would have wanted that."

"Well...at least he was, you know, old," Feritzia said. The ECC turned a few shocked glares in her direction. She scowled, frustrated that they didn't realize what she was trying to say. "You know what I mean! At least he died heroically, and not half-deaf and wrinkly and wheezing in bed."

Maris was about to give Feritzia a sharp remark when Kiddy broke in. "She is right, you know. If Avalanche Wong hadn't done what he did, we would all be dead right now. And we would have screwed the world up to the point that a whole horde of Lucifer Hawks could have waltzed right in and made a buffet out of humanity. We should recognize what Avalanche Wong did for all of us, and remember him for it."

"Yes, we should remember him..." Katsumi's voice spoke up from the far end of the conference room. She was staring at the window at the brilliant blue sky, her face hard and set. "But we should also learn from this. None of us knew from the start that this would definitely work...so why did we go ahead with the plan regardless?"

"Because it seemed like our best option at the time," Adara told her. Katsumi had been not much better off than Lum Cheng since the incident, and they all knew she blamed herself for what had happened. Adara, however, wanted no more of this eternal cycle of guilt; she knew exactly how it could affect a person, and she sensed that Katsumi had already suffered from it enough. "If any of us here had doubted you, Katsumi, we wouldn't have gone along with it. But every single one of us was there, helping you. We're as much to blame as you are."

"I know, I know..." Katsumi turned to face them, the anxiety showing through her voice. "But something here still doesn't feel right. I've been telling myself all night that we should be grateful for what Avalanche Wong did instead of sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves. But that hasn't helped at all."

"What do you mean?" Miakoda asked.

"I just keep getting this feeling that Avalanche Wong's death has led to something we aren't thinking of. Some horrible thing we're missing."

"Well, Lum Cheng's current condition," Calixta said. "That's obviously not a good thing. Losing a family member never is."

"Unless they're rich..." Feritzia said to herself.

"Feritzia!" Calixta whirled on her with an almost Maris-like ferocity.

"Well, I'm not saying it applies here!" Feritzia said in her defense. "I mean, Avalanche Wong didn't have many possessions anyway, right?"

"Actually, I'm not sure if he had any," Lebia said with a small laugh. "He gave Jesso to Lum Cheng many years ago. About the only thing he's been carrying around recently has been..."

Lebia stopped suddenly. It only took the others a few seconds to realize what she was saying, as they remembered the small black box.

"Medium," Katsumi breathed.

------

Rally felt her heart stop as what looked like a stampede of the AMP and ECC women suddenly came thundering up towards her, Mana and Mackenzie. They stopped a few feet away before Katsumi finally blurted out, "You haven't packed Avalanche Wong's things yet, have you?"

Rally shook her head, dumbstruck. "No...they're all still in his room."

"We need to get into it right away!" she said, her voice full of unusual desperation.

Rally was about to ask what the matter was when Mana stepped forward. Alarm spread across her even features, and Katsumi instantly sensed that Mana had the same fears that she did. "I'll open the room for you," Mana said decisively.

Five minutes later, all of the women stood outside the door anxiously waiting to see if their fears had been confirmed. Katsumi, Mana and Rally were the only ones to actually enter the chamber, and they headed straight for the small black box resting in the bedside drawer. Katsumi felt her heart sink as they pulled the box out. She remembered Avalanche Wong had told her about the lock, that he had enchanted it with several powerful spells so that only he could open it. But now that he was dead, the spells had been nullified...and the lock had been broken. Rally hesitated, then lifted up the lid.

The box was empty.

"It...it's gone." Mana's voice was quiet and frightened, as if she could barely find the energy to breathe. "Somebody took Medium."

"No, they couldn't have," Rally said. For the first time in a long time, Katsumi detected disturbance and uncertainty in Rally's voice. "We set up shields around the entire building complex. Lebia even had a direct link to Dewey II...we would have known immediately if someone had broken in."

"Medium cannot move by its own will," Mana protested. "But it's gone. Someone must have taken it."

"But how? Who would've known that it would be here, much less that Avalanche Wong died and lost control over it?" Rally asked.

Katsumi was not in the mood to ask questions. She now realized what exactly had been bothering both her and Mana since Avalanche Wong's death...that Medium had been set free again. And there was no telling what had happened to it, or who now had control over it. She clenched her fists, trying desperately to hold back the feeling of guilt and hopelessness that was trying to make a noise. Instead, she simply turned around and left.

Rally and Mana turned around as Katsumi stormed out of the room, and past the others waiting outside. At first no one dared to follow her...they all knew what had been found inside. Finally, Kiddy snarled something to herself and ran up to catch up to her.

"Katsumi, stop! Medium may be gone...but at least we know about it. We can stop it before it possesses anyone else. We can destroy it for good..."

"You'd like to think that, Kiddy," Katsumi turned to face her, her voice cracking. "But I know better. Whether or not it was Ganossa, somebody else out there is going to be possessed by that sword. Because someone else knows what it can do."

Kiddy didn't respond.

Katsumi squeezed her eyes and turned away, trying to close off the reality of the situation. But even in darkness, it was staring her in the face. "Somebody is going to get hurt. Somebody is going to die. And it's because of us."

------

The demon sword Medium smiled to herself, stretching a new body for what seemed like the first time in ages. This new body had limbs that were filled with unusual strength, and she longed to make it even stronger. She knew where true power lay: in the power of grief and anger, the power to feel pain, and to make others feel pain. She wanted all the world to share in this power, to revel in this eternal torment that would forever penetrate her alone. But for the moment she would settle for this new soul, and the ones it was connected to.

/I didn't want this/ A voice crawled its way from the depths of the soul she had possessed. /Why are you doing this? This isn't right./

She snarled to herself. This one was unusually resistant, and she couldn't help but wonder if she had been tricked into possessing it. /I will decide what is right and wrong now./

/But you don't belong here. I know what you want to do with me... How could you have come in? I didn't want this/

/Yes you did. You wanted to die. Well, now you've been granted your wish. You can just sit back and be as dead as you want. I'll do all the work now./

/You're wrong. This isn't death...this is something worse. I'd rather live without him than live like this/

/You wouldn't last a day. Without him, you're nothing. Just a sniveling, useless shell that's a burden on everyone else. What hope could you possibly have now that he's dead/

/You're lying/

/You saw it with your own eyes. He's dead, and it's because of you. Who would want to live with that/

/I don't believe you/

She laughed. /Well, it's a little late for that now, isn't it? Whether I'm telling the truth is irrelevant. You asked for something, and you got it. It's not my fault if you can't decide whether or not you want to live./

/He is alive. I knew you were lying; I knew you were evil! I want to go to him/

/Oh, I'll go to him all right. All in due time, of course. I want to savor every moment of this./

/You...you damned bitch! If you dare touch him, I'll.../

/Who says I'll touch him? It's the people he cares about I'm interested in hurting./

She stopped suddenly, unable to move as the voice within fought to regain control. For a second, Medium was afraid. But she forced the voice back with savage ferocity, calling on all her demonic powers of fear, anger and hatred, beating the soul into submission.

The voice was quiet again, and this time for good. She smiled to herself, glad there would be no more interruptions. She had much work to do. She opened her new eyes and focused them on first thing she saw: a tall man silhouetted against the brilliant light streaming through a broken cathedral window.

She would have to thank him later.

------

"Mommy, can we go to the park today?" Roy asked for the fifth time that hour.

Katsumi sighed heavily. She knew that she should give in to her son's request. It would certainly do them all some good to get out of the AMP headquarters. Lum Cheng had left for China three days ago, and the ECC was planning to return to New York at the end of the week. AMP had promised to show the New York girls around Tokyo, but nobody had really been up to exploring the city. They kept making excuses to each other about needing to be ready in case any Third Attractions popped up, but things had been unusually quiet for the past few days.

"Let's go after lunch," Kiddy said decisively, getting up from her seat. "All of us. It would be a real shame if you guys spent all this time in Tokyo and didn't see anything."

"That sounds good to me," Adara said. "Let's face it guys, we're not going to make things any better by sitting around here on our butts. Might as well take a break before we have to go back to New York."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Roy immediately perked up. It seemed as if his mother and friends had been sad for many days now; he had tried to cheer them up, but it just hadn't worked.

Just then, Isozaki stuck her head into the break room, and motioned to Rally. "Chief...there's a call for you. It's not someone we know and...and I think he's from England," she added quizzically.

Rally nodded, and left the break room to answer the phone in her private office. She expected the call to be from the manufacturing company scheduled to send them replacement parts for the 'Simurgh', and sighed at the thought of spending an hour talking technicalities with some technician in Great Britain. "This is Rally Cheyenne. May I ask who's calling?"

"This is Lord Alfred Wellingham IV, founder of the Royal Order of the Mystic Protectorate," was the heavily accented reply. "And I am most glad to make your acquaintance, Miss Cheyenne."

Rally blinked in confusion...this definitely wasn't the manufacturer. "You sound like you've been trying to find me for awhile, Mr...Wellingham."

"Indeed, Miss Cheyenne, indeed. I've heard rumors that you head a small police force of individuals who specialize in battling the creatures known as Lucifer Hawks. Is this true?"

Rally was not sure how to respond. Could this be someone working for Ganossa? She ruled out the idea quickly, figuring that if Ganossa was going to try and taunt them, it wouldn't be through some British Lord...Alfred. "Yes, actually it is. We also have a team from New York visiting us."

"Well, that's jolly splendid!" Lord Alfred responded, his satisfaction practically radiating through the phone. "Two teams, even better than I expected, and certainly better than my intel led me to believe. If it's not too much trouble, I should greatly like to meet a few members from both groups..."

"Wait, hold on!" Rally interrupted. "What do you mean, meet members? For what purpose?"

"Oh, I am sorry, Miss Cheyenne! I forgot to explain... You see, I'm the founder of a similar team. Been carrying on fightin' the buggers—oh, pardon my language ma'am—in London for several years now. We only recently heard there was a similar operation in Tokyo...international intelligence just isn't what it used to be, ma'am...didn't even know about one in New York. We figured it'd be wise to contact some Japanese Hawk-fighters, maybe exchange a few stratagems and the like."

The realization of what this could mean began to dawn on Rally, and she felt a smile creep across her face for the first time in days. "You would like some representatives from our teams to meet you in London?"

"That would be splendid. Just give us about three days to prepare, and I'll have Paddy, one of my subordinates, meet you at the Heathrow Airport."

"Well...okay," Rally said, amazed that she was even agreeing to this so readily.

"Right then! We'll be seeing you at noon sharp this coming Sunday. I'll send you a flight voucher. Bring as many people as you like...you can come to the office, have tea, talk business and all that. I must say, we heartily look forward to meeting you!" Lord Alfred finished off cheerily.

Rally said goodbye, and hung up the phone. She stayed at the desk for a few minutes, trying to process the conversation that had just taken place.

(A third Lucifer Hawk-fighting team? In London?)

Finally, Rally left the office, and went back to the break room. Everyone looked up as she entered, sensing that she had something to tell them.

"Change of plans, I'm afraid..." Rally said. "I've just received a very interesting phone call. Who's interested in going to London?"

---------------------------------------------

Book two begins soon! XD


End file.
